It might be lagging in our Top Store awards but Asda is enjoying an impressive run in our price survey. This week's basket - the cheapest at £43.25 - represents Asda's ninth consecutive week as cheapest retailer, but Morrisons was only seven pence more expensive and is closing the gap on its rival. Such was the competitiveness of this week's survey that Asda secured the top spot by offering lower prices on just two items: kippers, which were 5p less than at Morrisons, and mushrooms, which were 2p less per kg. Morrisons retained a narrow lead over Tesco to take second place for the third week thanks to extensive promotional activity. Of the 33 products on our list eight were on special offer. Walls sausages were 9p cheaper than at Tesco and lemons were 4p cheaper. Though it did not have as many special offers, Tesco dramatically closed the gap on Morrisons, slashing it from 72p to just 7p. Sainsbury's was just behind Tesco with a £43.43 basket. It offered the cheapest kippers at £2.86 though there were no price decreases this week. Sainsbury's might have edged ahead of Tesco were it not for the Australian red wine and the mushrooms, which were 5p and 10p more expensive that at its rival respectively. With a £48.97 basket Somerfield, which swapped places with Waitrose to take fifth place, was significantly more expensive than Sainsbury's. At £2.28 per kg, Somerfield's loose parsnips were by far the most expensive in the survey, exceeding Waitrose's by 79p. Aquafresh toothpaste was also pricier than at its competitors at £1.08 compared with their 90p. And Flash spray with bleach 10p more than at Waitrose. Waitrose resumed its position as most expensive retailer with a £52.22 basket. The retailer's cheapest own label refuse sacks, at £4.29, was almost six times the price of its competitors'. The kippers were £1.20 more than Somerfield's and their cheapest Australian red wine was the most expensive on the list at £3.49.

Topics