Guest retailer Lidl dominated the final Grocer 33 pricing survey of 2021.
At £38.24, Lidl came in £3.85 cheaper than runner-up Asda. This represented an improved winning margin of 9.1% compared with its last appearance in August, when it came in 8% cheaper than Asda.
Lidl offered the lowest price for 30 products, with 20 of these exclusively cheapest. The discounter undercut its rivals on a variety of items including cauliflower, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Imodium and sea bass.
Asda offered the lowest price for 10 products and was exclusively cheapest for the sliced beetroot and Braeburn apples.
Tesco came in £7.04 more expensive than Lidl at £45.28, a difference of 15.5%. Factoring in Tesco Clubcard Prices would have saved loyalty scheme members a further £1.04. This would have taken its total down to £44.24 and closed the gap on Lidl to £6.
It offered the lowest price for six products although none were exclusively cheapest.
Sainsbury’s also failed to offer any products at an exclusively cheapest price and matched the lowest price for just four. At £45.84, the Holborn-based retailer came in £7.60 more expensive than Lidl.
Morrisons was exclusively cheapest for the Club biscuits, but overall came in over a tenner more expensive than Lidl at £48.91 – a difference of 21.8%.
Waitrose was a third more expensive than Lidl at £57.42. It only matched the lowest price for one item – the pint of milk.
Rising inflation is predicted to have a huge impact next year, but this week’s mystery shops painted more of a mixed picture.
Prices were up at three of our retailers compared with this time last year. Lidl’s basket was up 1.2%, Asda’s rose 3.6%, but Sainsbury’s was 2.3% cheaper, while Tesco was down 1.8% and Waitrose 1.2%.
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