Cheapest supermarket for branded shopping revealed

The most affordable supermarket for branded groceries has been revealed and could save you as much as 15% off your weekly shop.

Shoppers who headed to Asda in May saved £116.86 on a measured basket of branded goods compared to shopping at Sainsbury’s without a Nectar card, according to a price investigation by consumer group Which?.

It’s the fourth month in a row that Asda came out as the cheapest supermarket for branded items, the report showed.

The list of items includes 234 popular grocery items including Colgate mouthwash, Heinz beans, pampers nappies and Filippo Berio olive oil.

Many households prefer the taste of certain branded goods, though the price you pay for these items can vary enormously.  

How much can you save with a supermarket loyalty card?

The report shows the increased importance of signing up to supermarket loyalty schemes to unlock cheaper prices.

Asda total basket cost was £791.55. This compares to £896.47 and £908.41 at Tesco and Sainsbury’s respectively without a loyalty card – that’s even more expensive than upmarket brands Waitrose and Ocado, where the same basket cost £873.52 and £848.90 respectively.

However, as a result of loyalty pricing, Tesco becomes the second cheapest and Sainsbury’s the third when you are signed up to the Clubcard and Nectar schemes.

Out of the 234 items included in the measure, 159 products from Sainsbury’s included in a loyalty promotion while there were 140 at Tesco.

It shows that if you don’t sign up to a loyalty scheme and shop at the two supermarkets your budget is going to be punished.

You have to be at least 18 to sign up for a Clubcard, which means younger shoppers could be missing out on savings.

Other ways to save on your supermarket shopping

It's not just signing up to a loyalty card that helps you save when shopping at the supermarket. Switching to own-brand items can slash the overall cost of your supermarket shop.

Try to avoid shopping at smaller express and metro supermarket branches where prices are often inflated and there is a smaller choice of budget items such as own-brand.

Going back to basics and creating a meal plan for the week and shopping list of items can help you avoid impulse buys.

Buy fruit and veg loose where possible over packaged. You'll get the exact amount you need and pay less even if it's the same amount.

It's usually better value to buy larger or in bulk, but not always so compare prices per unit which can be found underneath the main price.

Consider stocking up on bigger packs of toilet roll, laundry and cleaning items that you know won't spoil before you get a chance to use them.