One month ago, in an effort to save British consumers money at checkouts, Waitrose said it would be slashing prices on already reduced items. It has put an incredible £100m investment behind cost-saving initiatives, including fruit and vegetable areas.
And yet, when Which? revealed its latest monthly numbers on the cost of the average supermarket shop in the UK for similar items, Waitrose came in last among its rivals at £92.55. That was an astounding £20 more than Aldi, which for the 10th consecutive month registered as the lowest of all retail chains. Lidl was just 25 pence behind.
But Waitrose was hardly alone … again. Although Waitrose was far and away the most expensive, a shop at Ocado was £88.03. At Morrisons, it was £83.63. Which?’s surveys almost begs the question in a tight economy: What can UK shoppers do with an extra £10 or £20? Could they continue to turn more frequently to the discounters, as Kantar Worldpanel’s trends show?
A couple of rivals perhaps are just close enough on price – thanks to bold Aldi price-match strategies – to keep their cushions. Sainsbury’s was next best on price at £80.27. Tesco (£81.58) and Asda (£81.88) both stayed under that £10 difference.
Yet, none of them can seem to get close to Aldi or Lidl when it comes to pricing.
“In the face of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, we’re proud that our customers can save over £20 on basket spend by shopping with Aldi,” said Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi.
Aldi, named Grocer of the Year for 2023, has a 9.9% market share and has moved into fourth overall thanks to its pricing and growing footprint in the UK.
In addition to deep discounts and like its colleagues, Aldi is also involved in other initiatives that show their support for customers and the supply chain. This week it announced it wants all of its fresh produce growers to be LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Marque certified by the end of the year.
“We are committed to reducing our environmental impact wherever possible – including lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and increasing our sustainable sourcing – all while offering high quality products at unbeatable prices,” Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said. “We are proud to be working with LEAF, which is a significant step in our journey to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals.”
