In the week the Competition & Markets Authority confirmed a probe into the impact of supermarket loyalty-based pricing, Tesco’s Clubcard prices once again proved decisive in determining the cheapest retailer.
Based on shelf-edge prices it was Asda that came in cheapest for this week’s shopping list. At £61.37, Asda was £2.76 cheaper than Morrisons, as it offered the lowest price for 17 items and was exclusively cheapest for five.
Morrisons was cheapest for 13 lines and exclusively so for four – the Flora Lighter, HP sauce, Mr Kipling Battenbergs and strawberry trifle.
Tesco came in £2.94 more expensive than Asda at £64.31. However its Clubcard members would have received an automatic discount of £3.50, which would have seen the retailer undercut Asda by 56p.
Members of Sainsbury’s Nectar scheme would have been discounted to the tune of £3.80. However, Sainsbury’s shelf-edge prices were £6.17 more expensive than Asda at £67.54. This meant that even factoring in Nectar Prices, Sainsbury’s was still £2.37 pricier than Asda.
The CMA said this week it had concerns some shoppers, such as those living far from supermarkets in so-called “food deserts”, are unable to take advantage of loyalty schemes.
Guest retailer Iceland was off the pace: just shy of £8 more expensive than Asda at £69.36. It offered the lowest price for seven lines and was exclusively cheapest for the Maryland cookies and Young’s Admiral’s Pie.
Not as much as Waitrose though. Exclusively cheapest for the San Miguel lager – one of two lines for which it offered the lowest price – it was £12.05 dearer than Asda at £73.42.
As to annual inflation, it was just 6.7%, while there was a sharp fall in prices month on month, with our basket 2.4% cheaper on average compared with a month ago.
No comments yet