THE UK’s cheapest supermarket for February 2025 has been named – and shopping there could save you £63 a week.
Consumer group Which? compared the price of 100 products from eight supermarkets last month.
The list of items included branded and own-brand products such as Cathedral City cheddar cheese, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, potatoes and baked beans.
In February, Aldi was crowned the cheapest supermarket, with a trolley of goods costing £182.64 on average.
Shoppers could save £63.15 by doing their weekly shop at there instead of the most expensive, according to Which’s analysis.
Lidl was close behind in last month’s rankings, costing just £1.87 more when using the supermarket’s loyalty scheme, Lidl Plus.
Meanwhile, it was £2.30 more expensive than Aldi for those who have not joined the loyalty scheme.
Asda came next, with a basket costing £201.85.
Which? said that it had not factored Asda’s Reward scheme into its main analysis.
This is because loyalty members do not receive a discount on the day and the cashback is only redeemable at Asda within a limited period and in increments of £1.
In comparison, Tesco shoppers would pay £212.54 for the same basket of goods, or £205.31 with a Clubcard.
Morrisons’ prices were £212.98 with a More loyalty card and £213.46 without.
For Sainsbury’s, the average basket cost £213.46 with a Nectar card and £225.20 without.
Meanwhile, Ocado’s basket averaged £230.90, putting it just behind Waitrose, which was the most expensive shop overall.
At the premium supermarket, the same basket of items would set you back £245.79 on average.
The figures show how shoppers can make huge savings just by changing where they buy their food.
The analysis includes special offer and loyalty prices were applicable but does not take into account multi-buys.
Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “Our latest monthly analysis once again sees Aldi crowned as the UK’s cheapest supermarket, however, Lidl remains close behind its rival.
“It was also a good month for Asda, as it held on to the top spot as the cheapest supermarket for a bigger list of groceries.”
She added that people are still feeling the effects of food inflation.
She said: “With prices forecast to rise again, people are likely looking to cut costs where they can.
“Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets consumers could save up to 26%, highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible.”
What about bigger food shops?
Which? Also compared the price of a 206 item shop at six of the eight supermarkets last month.
For this bigger shop Asda beat Tesco to the top spot.
This shop would set you back £512.30 at Asda, beating Tesco with a Clubcard by £3.
Those without a Clubcard would need to stump up £553.91 for the same items.
Aldi and Lidl were not included in the comparison as they have a more limited range of products compared to other supermarkets.
Just behind Tesco was Sainsbury’s, where the same trolley of goods would set you back £525.39 with a Nectar Card or £571.20 without.
Meanwhile, Morrisons shoppers with a More card would spend £530.22 on this shop or £543.40 without the card.
Waitrose was once again the most expensive supermarket on average, with the bigger shop costing £585.10.
What is happening with food prices?
Food prices are still a worry for millions of households.
Food inflation rose to 2.1% in February, according to the British Retail Consortium.
According to its chief executive Helen Dickinson, breakfast products in particular got more expensive as butter, cheese, eggs, bread and cereals “all saw price hikes”.
Meanwhile, global coffee prices “could threaten to push the morning costs higher in the coming months”.
Fresh food also increased to 1.5% year-on-year in February while shop price inflation was unchanged at -0.7% over the period.
Ms Dickinson said: “We expect food prices to be over 4% up by the second half of the year.”
Meanwhile, new research from Which? earlier this week revealed the best and worst supermarkets for online shopping substitutions.
The consumer website asked hundreds of customers for their opinions on eight major supermarkets and online retailers.
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Which? found Asda and Sainsbury’s were the worst-performing out of the list.
The consumer website said 47% of Asda shoppers had received a replacement item in their last home delivery.
The retailer was also given two out of five stars for its choice of substitute items.
Meanwhile, 32% of Sainsbury’s customers said they had received a substitution in their last shop.
