The supermarket ranges increasing the most in price revealed – and it’s bad news for bargain hunters

THE supermarket ranges increasing in price the most have been revealed - and it's not good news for bargain hunters.

The cost of value items are rising faster than those of branded and premium products, according to research by Which?

It found that the cost of budget items was up 21.6% in January compared to the same time last year.

That's much higher than overall grocery inflation of 15.9%.

Experts at Which? analysed inflation - that's how much prices are rising - on more than 25,000 food and drink products.

It includes eight major supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

The consumer group found own-brand items at Lidl and Aldi had increased the most on a last year - with prices up 23.6% and 22.5% respectively.

This was followed by Asda in third at 16.8% and Waitrose in fourth at 15.2%.

Close behind was Morrisons with prices up 14.4% and Tesco groceries up 13.6%.

Sainsbury's prices rose by 13.2% and Ocado came last, with own brands increasing by 10.4%.

In comparison, branded goods rose by 13.2% over the year.

Some of the biggest price increases on supermarket value items include Sainsbury’s muesli, which went up 87.5% from £1.20 to £2.25.

Tins of sliced carrots went up 63% from 20p to 33p at Tesco, and pork sausage price increased 58.2%, up from 80p to £1.27, at Asda.

Butter and spreads continued to show significant inflation, up 29.9%, as did milk, which went up by 26.1% on average across all eight supermarkets.

The price of cheese went up by 23.8% overall, but some individual examples surged by as much as 96.6%.

However Which? found the discounters were generally still cheaper than their competitors.

Own-label premium ranges were up 13.4% and standard own-brand items increased 18.9%.

Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “It’s clear that food costs have soared in recent months, but our inflation tracker shows how households relying on supermarket value ranges are being hit the hardest."

An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re working hard to keep prices in check for customers despite global inflationary pressures and we remain the lowest-priced major supermarket."

While a Sainsbury's spokesperson said the supermarket was "working hard" to keep prices low.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: "Our Savers range offers customers great value on the products they buy every day."

Tesco said it was "absolutely committed" to helping customers through the cost of living crisis.

And an Aldi spokesperson said: “We are working hard to shield shoppers from industry-wide inflation, and our promise to our customers is that we will always provide the lowest grocery prices in Britain."

Lidl, Waitrose and Ocado have been approached for comment.

How to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop

There are lots of ways you can reduce the cost of your shop.

You should keep an eye out for yellow stickers to get the best food bargains.

Supermarkets often reduce the price of food nearing its use-by date to shift stock and stop food waste.

You can get up to 75% off products in some cases.

Another trick is to use supermarket loyalty schemes.

For example, Sainsbury's runs its Nectar card reward scheme, where customers receive points every time they shop in stores.

And checking the price per quantity is another great way to see how much you are actually paying for your groceries.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk