A supermarket that was most expensive for key shopping essentials for most of last year is now just pennies behind Aldi and Lidl.
Our comparison of essentials such as bread and milk showed that Asda was the dearest for eight basics for the majority of 2023.
In fact, since we first started tracking prices back in March 2022, it’s spent the largest number of weeks in the bottom spot, behind the other five main supermarkets – Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
But this week it’s all change as the retailer is third cheapest – and just pennies behind Lidl and Aldi.
Read more: Shoppers racing to get their hands on Aldi’s new £1.99 ice creams
A reduction in the cost of its 300g pack of chicken breasts, from £2.65 to £2.50, means its overall bill for the basket comes to £12.18.
As well as bread, milk and chicken, the weekly basket contains coffee, teabags, butter, baked beans and mince.
Much of Asda’s basket is made up of products from its Just Essentials range, which launched in the summer of 2022 and features more than 250 items, replacing its former Smart Price brand.
The bright yellow packaging angered some customers, who said it was ’embarrassing poorer families’ by highlighting the fact they were buying cheaper products, but others said they liked the fact the cheaper items were easier to find.
Lidl remains the cheapest in our comparison for a fourth consecutive week, with a bill of £12.11, followed by Aldi’s £12.14.
Morrisons is fourth cheapest behind Asda at £12.27, followed by Sainsbury’s at £12.33 and Tesco, which is most expensive for a third week, with a bill of £12.62.
Aldi disputes the results of our weekly comparison, saying that it does not take into account like-for-like products or ‘the higher quality’ of its products. The supermarket says, for example, that Aldi beans are 20g heavier than Sainsbury’s and that Aldi teabags are ‘better quality than the comparative products used’.
Asda also disagrees with our comparison and says that our small sample of products does not represent the fuller picture of prices and does not account for its deals. The supermarket says that, across the board, its Just Essentials range is the largest and cheapest available, alongside Aldi’s.
The full list is as follows:
Lidl
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.99
Teabags 240 – £2.79 / equates to £1.86 for 160
Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 420g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.35
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.29
Total £12.11
Aldi
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.99
Teabags 160 – £1.89
Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 420g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.35
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.29
Total £12.14
Asda
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) – £1.98
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack) – £1.60
Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 410g tin – 27p
Chicken 300g – £2.50 (down from £2.65)
Mince 500g 20% fat -£2.49
Total £12.18 (down from £12.33)
Morrisons
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee (2 x 100g) – £1.98
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) – £1.58
Savers Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 410g tin – 27p
Chicken 300g – £2.65 for 330g, equates to £2.41 for 300g
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.29
Total £12.27
Sainsbury’s
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.99
Teabags 160 – £1.89
Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 400g tin – 27p
Chicken 300g – £2.35
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.49
Total £12.33
Tesco
Loaf of white bread 800g – 45p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) – £1.98
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) – £1.88
Salted butter 250g – £1.69
Beans 420g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.65
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.49
Total £12.62
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
