Asda has been named the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries, beating both Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar card prices, according to new research from consumer group Which?.
The analysis found Asda offered the lowest prices on a basket of popular branded products from companies including Heinz, Cadbury, Kellogg’s and Nescafé.
Which? tracked the prices of 241 branded grocery items throughout March 2026 and found the total cost of the basket at Asda came to £813.16.
That compared with £824.62 at Tesco using a Clubcard and £849.08 at Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card.
The figures meant Asda was around one per cent cheaper than Tesco’s loyalty prices and four per cent cheaper than Sainsbury’s member deals.
Which? said prices were monitored daily across the month before average item costs were calculated and totalled.
Discount retailers Aldi UK and Lidl GB were not included in the branded comparison because they stock fewer major branded products.
The research also highlighted the growing gap between loyalty card prices and standard supermarket pricing.
Asda beats Tesco Clubcard and Nectar prices in branded grocery battle, Which? finds
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Shoppers without a Tesco Clubcard or Sainsbury’s Nectar card were found to pay up to 15 per cent more than the cheapest available option.
Without loyalty discounts applied, Tesco’s basket total rose to £911.64 while Sainsbury’s increased to £933.82.
Both supermarkets were therefore more expensive than Waitrose & Partners, where the same basket cost £902.83.
Which? said the findings raised concerns for shoppers unwilling or unable to sign up to supermarket loyalty schemes.
Which? found a wide range of branded items not typically stocked at the discount stores Aldi and Lidl
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Which?
The research found some products carried particularly large price differences depending on where customers shopped.
Nescafé Azera Americano instant coffee showed the biggest gap, costing £3.50 at Tesco with a Clubcard compared with £7.25 without one, representing a 117 per cent difference.
Tilda Boil In Bag Basmati Rice varied by 115 per cent, priced at £1 at Tesco compared with £2.15 at Sainsbury’s.
McCain Lightly Spiced Potato Wedges were priced at £1.37 at Tesco but £2.75 at Sainsbury’s, a difference of 101 per cent.
Even household products showed major price variation, with Febreze air freshener costing £2 at Tesco and £3.50 at Waitrose.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel ice cream cones were cheapest at Asda at £2.61, compared with £4.50 at Ocado.
Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, said: “Our latest analysis shows Asda beats the UK’s biggest loyalty schemes to be the cheapest for branded goods for the second month running.”
Ms Sewraz added: “If you’re loyal to specific brands, the current market is a bit of a lottery. You could easily end up paying double for the same jar of coffee or bag of rice, depending on where you shop.”
Asda came out on top in this month’s analysis
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Supermarkets defended their pricing strategies following publication of the findings.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “More than four in five of the items flagged in this report were cheaper on Nectar Prices, and our customers know a good deal when they see one.”
Tesco said more than 80 per cent of its sales now involve the use of a Clubcard, with millions of shoppers benefiting from discounts every week.
Waitrose said the Which? comparison represented only a snapshot of prices and did not reflect its wider promotional offers.