Asda store web

Asda returned to the winner’s circle this week, having lost out to Morrisons last time.

The Walmart-owned retailer’s £55.33 total was £1.75 cheaper than Morrisons, relegating it to the runner-up spot.

Asda’s victory came about by offering the lowest price for 22 of the 33 items on our list, with nine of these exclusively cheaper than any of its rivals.

Of these nine items, three were fresh lines - the asparagus, red cabbage and the runner beans. Morrisons was cheapest for 11 products, with just three exclusively so.

While it was cheapest, Asda did not beat any of its rivals by 10% this week and thus was obliged to offer our mystery shopper a Price Guarantee voucher worth £3.22 to spend on her next shop.

Sainsbury’s claimed third spot this week. Its £59.16 total was £3.83 more expensive than its proposed merger partner. Like Morrisons it also offered the lowest price for 11 products, although four of these were actually exclusively cheaper than its rivals.

Last week Tesco culled its Brand Guarantee price matching scheme - but there was little sign of the everyday low pricing strategy that is replacing it.

At £60.32, Tesco was almost a fiver more expensive than Asda. It offered the cheapest price for just seven lines and only managed to have the exclusively lowest price for the Fox’s Party Rings.

Fifth-placed Waitrose was £8.35 more expensive than Asda at £63.68, despite being the retailer with the most deals - it had 12 promotions compared with eight at Asda and Tesco, seven at Morrisons, six at guest retailer Ocado and five for Sainsbury’s.

The good news for Waitrose was that it came in £2.77 cheaper than Ocado, which at £66.45 was £11.12 more expensive than Asda.

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