It was the most expensive supermarket for key shopping essentials for most of last year.
Week after week, Asda has always been the most expensive for a basket of eight essentials we’ve tracked across six major supermarkets for more than two years.
But now it is hot on the heels of budget retailers Aldi and Lidl with a bill that is only a few pennies apart.
With that in mind, I decided to do a big trade there to see how its prices fared across the board.
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In January, the retailer became the first to launch a joint price offer between Aldi and Lidl – matching the price of whichever retailer is cheaper on around 280 products. It has since been expanded to cover around 400 products in total, but is still a relatively small percentage of Asda’s total stock.
However, some of the items I picked up this week made a difference. A 500g packet of pasta has gone down to 69p from the 95p I paid in store last year, a four liter bottle of milk from £1.65 to £1.45 and butter from £1.99 to £1.69.
However, it was heartening to see other prices drop regardless of the price match, including a 700g bottle of Heinz ketchup, down from £3.90 last year to £3.65 – not a great price, but at least it’s going in the right direction.
Heinz beans are also falling, with last year’s four-pack of 415g tins costing £4 but now down to £3.75 or £4.75 for six. Its £4 four on other Heinz canned goods such as spaghetti and sausages is also better than elsewhere, including Tesco’s £4.50 three and Morrisons’ three for £4.
Other discounts included a 400g block of cheddar from 3 to £2.80 and Mr Kipling Mini Battenbergs on offer for £1.25, whereas last year a pack cost me £2.30.
There were decent deals on other products too, Bisto Gravy reduced from £3 to £2.50, Dr Oetker pizzas from £3 to £1.50 and if I had any freezer room I’d definitely pick some up. of four for £5 on Birds Eye and Goodfella products.
Meanwhile, the Just Essentials supermarket budget helped keep my bill down, with a bag of four avocados for £1.40 and 700g peppers for £1.90.
I also picked up some yellow stickers, including cheesy garlic bread, reduced from £1.90 to £1.22 and a 650g pack of reduced-fat ground beef steak, reduced from £4.45 to £3.20.
Of course, not everything was cheaper, and there is no escaping the fact that some prices are still rising. Earlier this week we reported that Asda extra virgin olive oil is now £8.40 a liter and Tetley tea bags have risen from £1.90 last year for a pack of 80 to £3.15. A liter of orange juice – the one from concentrate – has also risen in price from £1 to £1.65.
However, Asda is certainly not alone in hikes and similar prices are found in other major supermarkets. Like everywhere else, potatoes are up, at £1.89 a 2kg bag and eggs £2.95 a dozen large free range. Shrinkage is still a factor – evident with Asda grapes which were £1.30 for 400g last year and now the same price for 375g.
Overall, Asda prices were a bit of a mixed bag. But if you want more big brands that don’t sell on budgets, it’s definitely worth considering, especially if you take advantage of the variety of deals.
An Asda spokesman said: “Asda is consistently recognized as the best value traditional supermarket in independent price comparison surveys. These include a Grocer 33 basket comparison based on edge-of-the-shelf pricing and which one? monthly comparison of Big Shop carts.
“As well as offering the lowest prices of any traditional supermarket, our customers can save further with the Asda Rewards app. This app gives them money back into their Cashpot every time they shop, which they can use to reduce the price they pay. at the checkout For less than two years after its launch, Rewards now has more than six million customers who have saved more than £420m in total.”
Complete Asda store
- Warburtons 6 Slice Soft White Rolls 6pc £1.20
- Warburton’s Wholemeal 800g £1.35
- Hovis Thick Soft White Bread 800g £1.39
- Brioche 6-pack £2
- Chicken Breast Cutlets 300g £2.50
- ASDA Wafer Thin Smoked Ham 400g £2.50
- Bacon 300g 2 x 300g for £4
- Lean Beef Ground Steak (usually less than 5% fat) 500g £3.49
- Pork Sausages 8-pack £2.25
- Snack Pork Sausage Rolls 12 pack £1.95
- Cottage cheese £1.50
- Salted Butter 250g £1.69
- Skimmed milk 4 pints £1.45
- Medium Cheddar Cheese 400g £2.80
- 12 large free range eggs £2.95
- Onken Fat Free Yoghurt 450g £1.95
- Richmond Skinless Sausages 16-pack £2.50
- Dutch Potato and Meat Pies £4.40
- Dr Oetker Pizza £1.50
- Fries Skin 750g £1.40
- Magnum White Ice Cream 400ml £3.25
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup 700g £3.65
- Heinz Mayonnaise 700g £3
- Fusilli pasta 500g 69p
- Chopped tomatoes in tomato juice 400g 47p x 2 94p
- Heinz Spaghetti and Sausages 4 for £4
- Bisto Gravy £2.50
- Red seedless grapes 375g £1.30
- Blueberries 125g £1.39
- Peppers 700g £1.90
- Avocado 4 pack £1.40
- Maris Piper Potatoes 2kg £1.89
- Easy Cook Long Grain White Rice 1kg £1.25
- Seabrook Potatoes 18 per pack £3.50
- Mr Kipling Mini Battenbergs 5pk £1.25
- Orange juice plain carton 1l £1
- Just Essentials Orange Juice 1L £1.19
- Just Essentials apple juice 1l 99p
- Just Essentials Pepperoni Pizza £1.25
- Garlic Bread 245g £1.22 (yellow label)
- Reduced Fat Mince 650g £3.20 (Yellow Label)
Total £85.53