Britain’s cheapest supermarket revealed as shoppers face £61 price gap

Aldi was named Britain’s cheapest supermarket for October 2026 by consumer group Which?, with a basket of 87 everyday items costing an average of £154.34.

The German discounter beat every rival, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s when their loyalty discounts were included.

Waitrose was the most expensive at £215.87. That was £61.53, or nearly 40 per cent, more than Aldi for a comparable selection of groceries.

Lidl came second, with its basket costing £157.17 for Lidl Plus members, just £2.83 more than Aldi.

However, its loyalty scheme made little difference to the total. The same basket without Lidl Plus cost £157.21, meaning members saved just 4p.

Which? compared a mixture of branded and own-label products, including milk, cheese and Hovis sliced bread.

Where own-label products differed between supermarkets, it matched them as closely as possible on quality and weight.

Tesco took third place when Clubcard discounts were included, with a total of £181.77. Sainsbury’s followed at £182.90 for Nectar members.

Asda, which had been cheaper than both supermarkets in September, slipped to fifth place in October at £183.47.

Morrisons came next, with a basket costing £186.77.

For shoppers without loyalty cards, Tesco and Sainsbury’s were more expensive.

Without a Clubcard, Tesco’s total increased by £5.54 to £187.31. Sainsbury’s shoppers without Nectar paid £8.66 more, bringing their bill to £191.56.

That made Sainsbury’s the third most expensive supermarket in the comparison without loyalty discounts. Only Ocado, at £202.33, and Waitrose cost more.

In total, Which? found 18 products on loyalty discount at Tesco and 21 at Sainsbury’s during October.

Reena Sewraz, Which?’s retail editor, said: “With winter setting in and Christmas around the corner, shoppers may be looking to save on their weekly grocery bills to free up cash for festive treats.

“At some supermarkets, scanning a loyalty card is essential to avoid paying over the odds.

“Yet with a near 40% price gap separating the cheapest and dearest supermarket, switching to a discounter is the fastest way to save ahead of Christmas.”

Ms Sewraz’s advice comes as major supermarkets regularly rotate hundreds or even thousands of loyalty promotions, with offers typically changing every few weeks.