Discount grocers Aldi and Lidl have been named the “worst supermarkets” for overall food and drink inflation, according to the latest data from Which?.
The consumer group found inflation prices went up by 19.6%, with rival Lidl reporting a 19% increase, despite both retailers still tended to be the cheapest of the supermarkets.
Despite this soaring inflation, Lidl set a new record market share of 7.4% earlier this week according to the most recent figures from Kantar, while Aldi sales were up by 24.4% as both focus on opening new stores across the UK.
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The discounters were followed by Asda which reported a 15.2% increase, Morrisons 14.4%, Waitrose 14.2%, Sainsbury’s 13.7% and Tesco 12.6%, respectively.
According to the data, Ocado had the least inflation overall (10.3%).
Which? tracked tens of thousands of products and found that prices of supermarket own-brand and budget products have increased more than premium and branded foods during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The data showed that own-brand and budget ranges have gone up by as much as 18%, compared to around 13% for premium own-brand ranges and 12% for branded items.
This comes as many households have started to opt for cheaper alternatives, with latest Kantar figures showing own-label sales are up 11.7% year-on-year while the cheapest value own-label lines are up 46.3%.
“Our inflation tracker lays bare the shocking scale of soaring food and drink prices – including on budget and own-brand products,” Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said.
“We know the big supermarkets have the ability to take action and make a real difference to people struggling through the worst cost of living crisis in decades.
“That’s why we’re calling on them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food lines at a store near them, can easily compare the price of products to get the best value and that promotions are targeted at supporting people most in need.”
