Aldi has been crowned the cheapest supermarket of 2023, beating its rival Lidl, according to consumer group Which?.
The supermarket was ranked as the cheapest for 11 months last year, missing out to Lidl in October.
Which? research found a basket of 43 groceries was £74.83 at Aldi in December, narrowly beating Lidl, where it cost £76.74.
Waitrose came in nearly £20 more expensive than Aldi last month at £94.94, and Which? found it was the most expensive supermarket each month of 2023.
Aldi has been crowned the cheapest supermarket of 2023
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The consumer group also compared the cost of a larger trolley of more than 100 items including more branded products, but Aldi and Lidl were not included due to the discount retailers not always stocking some of these items.
Among the retailers included in the comparison, Asda came in as the cheapest supermarket for a larger trolley for 11 months of the year.
In July, Morrisons pipped Asda to the title of the cheapest supermarket.
The analysis included special offer prices but not loyalty discounts or multi-buy products, as the consumer champions argued these deals were only available to people prepared to sign up to the scheme, but not every consumer can do so, for example if they aren't comfortable with loyalty apps.
It's understood M&S and the Co-op do not feature in Which? basket comparisons and the products aren't compared like with like.
Which? Retail editor Ele Clark said: “With food prices continuing to put immense pressure on household budgets, it’s no surprise to see many people turning to discounters like Aldi and Lidl.
“Our research shows that Aldi was the cheapest supermarket of 2023, with shoppers saving almost £20 there in December compared to the most expensive store.
“Which? believes that supermarkets can do more to help shoppers during the current cost-of-living crisis.
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“Although some have begun to make progress, we’d like to see all supermarkets stocking their smaller convenience stores with a selection of budget-range healthy foods, particularly in those areas most in need.”
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be named the cheapest supermarket of the year for a third year running.
“We are committed to providing shoppers with the best quality products at the lowest prices and it’s great to have that officially recognised by a highly respected consumer champion, such as Which?.”
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We invested a record amount of £100million in price cuts without compromising on the quality, taste and highest animal welfare standards our customers expect from us."
