Asda was the cheapest retailer for the ninth week in a row, based on shelf-edge prices, but for the second week running Tesco would have undercut its rival if its Clubcard Prices were factored in.
In a particularly competitive week across the big four supermarkets, at £55.13 Asda was just 80p cheaper than runner-up Sainsbury’s. As year-on-year inflation across the five retailers hit 5.2%, Asda was in fact the principle driver of the increases, with prices up 8.3% compared with February 2021.
Asda offered the lowest price for 18 products, but it was exclusively cheapest on just four: the black grapes, eggs, mushroom stir-fry and soft cheese.
Sainsbury’s total was just 3.7% more expensive than 12 months ago, the same increase as Tesco. It offered the lowest price for 16 lines and was exclusively cheapest for the fine beans, Kit Kats, McCain potato Smiles and Nature Valley cereal bars.
Third-placed Morrisons came in £2.23 more expensive than Asda at £57.36. It was cheapest for 10 items, five exclusively so. These included the cooked chicken slices, lemons and red onions. It also had significantly more promotions than its rivals with 17. Asda and Tesco each had 10 promotions, while Sainsbury’s and Waitrose both carried eight.
Tesco is using its loyalty scheme to battle inflation. Clubcard holders would have received a discount of just over a fiver. This would have reduced its total from £58.56 to £53.47, making it £1.66 cheaper than Asda. It was cheapest for 14 products and exclusively so for the Oxo stock cubes, spaghetti bolognese ready meal and wholemeal rolls.
Waitrose was exclusively cheapest for the Lurpak and Robinsons squash. But it was £10.20 more expensive than Asda at £65.33.
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