With the cost of living still proving troublesome for families around the country, one of the most significant issues many households have faced is a big rise in the price of the ‘big shop’.

Food inflation has been especially problematic, with big rises in the costs of everyday goods eating away at people’s paychecks over the last couple of years.

As such, seeking out the most cost-effective place to buy groceries has been an important priority for many households.

Consumer research firm Which? Undertakes monthly analysis to establish which supermarkets are offering customers the cheapest products.

Which? have been critical of major supermarkets, accusing them of ‘failing to adequately help shoppers during the current crisis’, going on to say that they ‘must ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them’.

When it comes to pricing, Asda has dominated the listings for larger trolley items but has now been knocked off perch for the first time in three and a half years.

So, who were the cheapest supermarkets last month?

Here is what you need to know.

Who were the cheapest supermarkets in July 2023?

To gather their information, Which? put together two selections of products – a small ‘basket’ of goods and a larger ‘trolley’ of products.

The basket includes 38 everyday products, from bread to toothpaste and more, and compares the average price at eight of the UK’s leading retailers.

The trolley adds a further 97 products, making a total of 135, and not only includes the ‘everyday products’ but also includes branded items like Andrex toilet paper, Cathedral City cheese, Heinz baked beans and PG Tips tea bags.

They then compare the prices at six retailers – as many smaller discount stores do not carry the same selection of branded products.

Both selections include special offer prices but not multi-buys or loyalty discounts.

For the basket of goods, Aldi proved the cheapest, with an average cost of £71.22 across the month, with fellow discount retailer Lidl coming in second place at just £1.38 more.

Cheapest supermarkets for smaller baskets in July 2023

Which? got the figures by creating a basket of 38 popular groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets to create an average price.

• Aldi – £71.22
• Lidl – £72.60
• Asda – £78.65
• Tesco – £79.59
• Sainsbury’s – £81.06
• Morrisons – £82
• Ocado – £86.26
• Waitrose – £87.24

Source: Which?

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services said: ‘Households up and down the country are having their budgets squeezed by the cost of living crisis and our latest research shows that once again Aldi is the cheapest supermarket.’

At the other end of the scale, Waitrose proved the most expensive, with a basket totalling £87.24 on average (22 per cent more than Aldi – a difference of £16.02)

A Waitrose spokesperson previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘We continue to work with our suppliers to keep prices as low as possible with more price cuts to come, but remain equally committed to industry leading animal welfare standards, paying our farmers fairly and providing outstanding quality products.’

For the larger trolley of products (aka your ‘big shop’) there was a surprise at the cheaper end of the scale, with Asda being knocked off its perch as the most affordable option for the first time in several years by rival Morrison’s – albeit by the tightest of margins.

Cheapest supermarkets for larger shops in July 2023

Which? got the figures by creating a trolley of 135 popular groceries (including the original 39) at six of the UK’s biggest supermarkets to create an average price.

• Morrisons – £341.92
• Asda – £342.14
• Tesco – £360.97
• Ocado – £367.96
• Sainsbury’s – £370.54
• Waitrose – £376.66

Source: Which?

In July 2023, it cost £341.92 on average for the more extensive shop at Morrison’s, beating Asda (£342.14) by just 22p.

Waitrose again clocked in as the most pricey, proving £34.74 more expensive than Morrison’s, at £376.66 – an average of 10 per cent more for the trolley of comparable goods. 

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