Big four supermarkets slash prices by up to half price in battle to steal back customers from Lidl and Aldi
Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco have all cut the price of thousands of own-brand and branded items both in stores and online
SHOPPERS hoping to cut food bills in the new year can save at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco as the supermarkets have cut the price of thousands of items.
The move is likely to be a bid from the so-called "big four" to take on discounters Aldi and Lidl, which are known for their low prices.
Asda has reduced the price of "thousands" of everyday household goods both in store and online as part of its "rollback" price promotion.
One deal we spotted in its rollback promotion is 18 Andrex toilet rolls for £7 down from £9.65 - a £2.65 saving (27 per cent) - and the cheapest price across the big four supermarkets.
On a basket of 10 own-brand items, including baked beans, milk and tea bags, Asda also came out on top when it comes to offering the cheapest prices.
Its basket of goods came to £17.47 in total, compared to £18.49, which was the next cheapest at Tesco, £23.10 at Sainsbury's and £25.04 at Morrisons.
Which supermarket is best for what?
HERE'S our handy guide to which supermarkets are best for which items:
- Aldi: Is best for its "Specialbuys". These are discounts on everything from musical instruments to electrical products to clothing.
- Asda: Is best for bagging the cheapest own-brand goods. Our test of a basket of 10 everyday items found that the supermarket was the cheapest every time. The supermarket also tends to be the cheapest for petrol.
- Lidl: Is best for its own-brand booze. Its Hortus Gin range, for example, comes well recomended by experts and includes flavours such as gingerbread.
- Morrisons: Is well known for its fresh counters in store - from its bakery to its deli to its fish and meat counters.
- Sainsbury's: Is best known for its Nectar card scheme. This allows shoppers to earn points, which they can then use to get money off their next shop or at Nectar partners such as theme parks and restaurant chains.
- Tesco: Is good for branded price cuts and offers - its January price cuts make it the cheapest supermarket on a number of big brand household items. The supermarket also runs its hugely popular Clubcard scheme.
At Morrisons, the supermarket has launched 20 per cent on average off the price of 935 products both in store and online as part of its "Price Crunch" promotion.
Discounted items include store cupboard favourites such as tinned tomatoes, cereal, sandwich fillers, kids’ lunchbox snacks, and ready meals.
We've spotted savings of up to 50 per cent. An example deal is Silver Spoon Granulated Sweetener (75g) for £1 down from £1.60.
This means shoppers save 60p (38 per cent) and it is the cheapest price we've seen across the four major supermarkets.
When it comes to Sainsbury's, the supermarket has cut the price of 190 items as part of its "New Year new me" range.
On January 2, it also dropped prices on 700 everyday home and personal care items in stores for a minimum of eight weeks.
Discounts are available on both own-brand products, such as butternut squash noodles, and on brands including Alpro, Linda McCartney, Uncle Ben's and Walkers.
An example offer is Haliborange Softies Multivitamins in Strawberry (30) for £3 down from £3.50 - a 50p saving (14 per cent) and the cheapest price around.
As Tesco reaches its 100th anniversary in 2019, the supermarket has also reduced prices by more than 50 per cent on hundreds of branded and own-brand items.
Example discounts include Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (550g) for £2.75 down from £5.50 - a £2.75 (50 per cent) saving and the cheapest price we found at the major supermarkets.
Do supermarkets still run price match schemes?
PRICE match and brand guarantee schemes were huge in the past, and were offered by the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.
But in recent years these schemes have all been scrapped.
The only major supermarket to continue to run a price match scheme is online retailer Ocado. It will send you the difference up to £10 if your shop would have been cheaper at Tesco.com.
Another deal is Nescafé Gold Blend, 200g, which shoppers can pick up for £4. This is a £3.49 (47 per cent) saving on the usual £7.49 price. It's also the cheapest price we found at the major supermarkets.
Of course, just because supermarkets say they've cut prices doesn't mean they're going to be offering the best deals.
Always compare prices first using online price comparison tools such as MySupermarket.co.uk.
You should also look for money-off food coupons and discounts on online orders if you're shopping online.
More on food
Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are cutting fuel prices this week by up to 2p per litre in a fresh supermarket petrol price war.
But Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco have come under fire for "cheating" drivers out of cheaper fuel prices.
In related news, confused shoppers have spotted EASTER chocolate on sale FIVE months early.
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