Sainsbury's has stormed up the chart to become cheapest retailer for the first time in 11 months. The retailer's triumph comes after a turbulent six weeks in which Asda, Tesco and Morrisons have each scooped the title two times. But recent basket totals at Sainsbury's have been low enough for it to take third place or higher in four of the past six weeks. This week's £39.74 basket was 53p cheaper than runner-up Asda. Sainsbury's Kellogg's Corn Flakes were on promotion this week for £1.00, compared with £1.69 at the rest of the retailers. It also undercut the rest of the big four by 50p on the quiche lorraine and its Paxo stuffing was the cheapest on the list as was its HP Sauce, despite it being 30p more expensive than last week. Asda dropped from first to second position but still provided three of the cheapest items, though it made no price cuts this week. Its pork chops were £3.91, whereas the rest of the big four sold them for £4.31. It also had the cheapest handwash and white rolls. Tesco ramped up its prices on a host of items but remained in third place with a £41.39 basket. It doubled the price of bacon to match the £1.88 charged at the rest of the retailers and increased the pork chops from £3.95 to £4.31. It also added 11p and 10p to the HP Sauce and jam respectively. Morrisons nearly scooped first place last week but has sunk to fourth this week after it raised the price of After Eights by 61p to £2.99, making them the most expensive. Its refuse sacks were, however, the cheapest on the list at 74p. Including refuse sacks on the list has previously boosted Waitrose's total because at £4.29 they were about five times pricier than at the big four. But this week Waitrose, which claimed fifth place with a £50.28 basket, cut the price of sacks from £3.50 to 79p, cheaper than at Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Somerfield was only 73p behind and it reduced its Dairylea spread by 64p to make it the cheapest. But this was negated by a 71p hike on ice cream - the most expensive on the list at £1.50.
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