Aldi has once again been named the most affordable supermarket in the UK, according to the latest price comparison by Which? The average cost of 71 essential items at Aldi in September totaled £122.77, making it £1.18 cheaper than the equivalent basket at Lidl, which averaged £123.95.

Which? conducts monthly comparisons of popular grocery prices at the eight largest supermarket chains. The analysis includes regular and loyalty prices but excludes multi-buy promotions. In the recent analysis, none of the 71 items were cheaper for Lidl Plus members. The items ranged from branded products like Birds Eye Peas to essential items like Hovis bread, milk, and butter.

Tesco claimed the third spot in the rankings, with Clubcard holders spending an average of £135.64, compared to £138.66 for non-Clubcard shoppers. Sainsbury’s Nectar card users spent £138.74 on average, while those without a Nectar card paid £142.70 for the same items.

The comparison also extended to a longer list of 186 items, excluding Aldi and Lidl due to their smaller product ranges. Asda emerged as the most economical option in September for the extended list, with an average bill of £465.66, surpassing Tesco with a Clubcard where the same items added up to £472.45.

On the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose ranked as the most expensive option, with average costs of £161.19 for a smaller shop and £531.39 for a larger purchase.

Reena Sewraz, the Retail Editor at Which?, noted that Aldi maintained its position as the most budget-friendly supermarket, emphasizing the consistent value it offers without complex pricing tiers. She advised consumers to explore different supermarkets to save money, as switching to a cheaper option could result in savings of up to 36%.

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