Sainsbury’s picked up its first pricing win in the current Grocer 33 year this week.
Five weeks into the new year, the Holborn-based retailer took the crown thanks to its Nectar Prices initiative. It would have finished second had we solely considered shelf-edge prices, but Nectar members would have received an instant discount of £5.45. This represented a saving of 7%, and meant Sainsbury’s came in 69p cheaper than Asda, at £72.05.
Sainsbury’s offered the lowest price for 16 items and was exclusively cheapest for five. These included the chicken thigh fillets, the Cornettos and the Pepsi Max. The retailer was also 2% cheaper year on year.
Asda also offered the lowest price for 16 products and was exclusively cheapest for seven, including the caesar dressing, Extra gum and the Hovis Seed Sensations loaf. Asda’s basket was 0.6% cheaper year on year.
Members of Tesco’s loyalty scheme did not enjoy as big a saving as Sainsbury’s. Clubcard members paid 4% less than shoppers without a loyalty card this week. This equated to a £3.05 saving, which took Tesco’s total down to £73.64. This was still £1.59 more expensive than Sainsbury’s and 90p more expensive than Asda. Tesco was only exclusively cheapest for one item: the Thatchers cider.
Last week’s winner Morrisons found itself down in fourth place. It came in £4.39 more expensive than Sainsbury’s at £76.44. It did not offer loyalty-based pricing on any of the products on our list, although it was exclusively cheapest for the Lynx shower gel and the red Thai curry paste.
Waitrose was exclusively cheapest for the Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Clusters and the Twinings teabags. Despite that, the upmarket retailer was a long way off the pace, coming in £10.65 more expensive than Sainsbury’s at £82.70.
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