Asda Named Cheapest Supermarket for Branded Goods - What the Which? March 2026 Data Shows

Quick answer: Which? named Asda the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries for the second month running in its March 2026 analysis. Asda’s basket of 241 popular branded items - including brands such as Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling - came to £813.16. That was cheaper than Tesco with Clubcard (£821.39), Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£845.69) and Morrisons with a More card (£858.67). This does not mean Asda is always the cheapest supermarket for every basket.

If you have searched for the cheapest supermarket for branded goods, you are probably trying to work out where your regular branded shop costs least. The short answer for March 2026 is Asda - but only for the specific branded-goods basket that Which? tracked. For a smaller mixed basket, Aldi came out cheapest. The full picture depends on what you buy, whether you use loyalty cards, and how you shop.

Why is Asda being called the cheapest supermarket for branded goods?

Which?, the consumer group, runs monthly supermarket price comparisons across the major UK chains. In its March 2026 analysis, Which? compared 241 popular branded products - the sort of well-known brands most UK shoppers recognise on the shelves.

Asda’s basket of those 241 branded items came to £813.16. That made Asda the cheapest for branded groceries for the second consecutive month.

The key finding: Asda’s branded prices were available to every shopper without needing a loyalty card or membership. At Tesco and Sainsbury’s, non-members paid considerably more.

What did Which? compare?

Which? tracked a basket of 241 popular branded grocery items across the major supermarkets during March 2026. The basket included well-known brands such as Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling.

The comparison covered Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose. It included both loyalty-card prices (where relevant) and standard non-member prices.

Aldi and Lidl were not included in this branded-goods comparison. The reason is straightforward: they do not stock enough of the same 241 branded products to make a fair comparison. Aldi and Lidl focus more on own-label ranges, so they cannot be measured against the same branded basket.

This is an important distinction. Aldi and Lidl may well be cheaper overall, but they were not part of this specific branded-goods study.

How did Asda compare with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons?

Here is what the Which? March 2026 branded-goods comparison found:

Supermarket	Loyalty scheme used?	March 2026 branded basket (241 items)	Compared with Asda
Asda	No loyalty card needed	£813.16	-
Tesco (with Clubcard)	Yes	£821.39	About 1% more
Sainsbury’s (with Nectar)	Yes	£845.69	About 4% more
Morrisons (with More card)	Yes	£858.67	About 6% more
Tesco (without Clubcard)	No	£911.64	About 12% more
Sainsbury’s (without Nectar)	No	£933.82	About 15% more

The gap between Asda and non-member prices at Tesco and Sainsbury’s is striking. A shopper who does not use Clubcard or Nectar could pay well over £100 more for the same branded basket.

Does this mean Asda is the cheapest supermarket overall?

No. The branded-goods comparison is only one way to measure supermarket prices.

Which? also runs a separate comparison using a smaller basket of 95 grocery items - a mix of branded and own-brand products. In March 2026, that smaller basket produced a very different ranking:

Supermarket	March 2026 smaller basket (95 items)
Aldi	£171.32
Lidl (with Lidl Plus)	£172.31
Lidl (without Lidl Plus)	£172.41
Asda	£193.37
Tesco (with Clubcard)	£198.07
Sainsbury’s (with Nectar)	£199.79
Morrisons	£201.02

Asda came fourth in this smaller basket - behind Aldi and Lidl. The two discount supermarkets were over £20 cheaper.

So the cheapest supermarket depends entirely on what you are buying. Branded goods? Asda came top. A smaller mixed basket? Aldi won.

What is Asda’s cheap brand called?

Asda’s budget own-brand range is called Just Essentials by Asda. It is Asda’s lowest-price tier, covering basic essentials across food, household and personal-care products.

Just Essentials is a separate thing from branded groceries. The Which? comparison that named Asda cheapest was specifically about branded items - products from manufacturers such as Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling. Just Essentials products were not part of that branded-goods basket.

If you are looking for the absolute cheapest products at Asda, the Just Essentials range is where to start. But that is a different question from which supermarket is cheapest for branded goods.

Branded goods vs own-brand: what is the difference?

Branded goods are products made by well-known manufacturers and sold under their own brand names. Think Heinz baked beans, Nescafé coffee, Mr Kipling cakes or Kellogg’s cornflakes. These products look the same whichever supermarket you buy them from.

Own-brand goods are products made for (or by) the supermarket and sold under the store’s own label. Asda has its own-brand range, Tesco has its own, and so on. These are almost always cheaper than the branded equivalent.

Budget own-brand ranges sit below the standard own-brand. Asda’s is Just Essentials. Tesco has Everyday Value (now part of its standard own-brand tiers). Sainsbury’s has its own budget tier too.

Shoppers who switch from branded to own-brand products often save the most. But many people prefer specific branded products for taste, quality or habit - and for those shoppers, the branded-goods comparison is what matters.

Why do loyalty cards matter?

Three of the major UK supermarkets now offer loyalty-card pricing:

• Tesco Clubcard - members see lower prices on selected products throughout the store.
• Sainsbury’s Nectar - Nectar cardholders get reduced prices on some items.
• Morrisons More - a newer scheme offering member-only prices on certain products.

Asda does not operate a traditional loyalty card in the same way. Its prices in the Which? branded-goods comparison were available to everyone.

In the March 2026 branded-goods analysis, Asda beat all three loyalty schemes. But the gap was smallest with Tesco Clubcard (about 1%). Without a loyalty card, Tesco and Sainsbury’s shoppers paid substantially more - up to 15% more than Asda for the same basket.

Loyalty cards are free to sign up for, so most regular shoppers at those stores will use them. But some people prefer not to share their shopping data. If you shop at Tesco or Sainsbury’s without a loyalty card, you may be paying more than you realise.

Is Asda a cheap store?

Asda is generally one of the more competitive big supermarkets in the UK. In Which?’s branded-goods comparisons, Asda has come out cheapest for two consecutive months. In the smaller-basket comparison, Asda typically finishes behind Aldi and Lidl but ahead of the other big chains.

Asda is not a discounter like Aldi or Lidl. It is a full-range supermarket with branded goods, own-brand products, fresh counters, clothing and more. For shoppers who want to buy branded products from a full-range store, Asda has been the cheapest option in recent months according to Which?.

Whether Asda is “cheap” for you depends on your basket.

Which is the cheapest supermarket to buy from?

It depends on what you buy.

• For branded groceries (March 2026): Asda was cheapest, according to Which?.
• For a smaller mixed basket (March 2026): Aldi was cheapest, followed closely by Lidl.
• For budget own-brand basics: Discounters such as Aldi and Lidl often win, though Asda’s Just Essentials range is competitive among the big supermarkets.

There is no single cheapest supermarket for every shopper. The answer changes depending on your basket, your nearest stores, whether you use loyalty cards, and whether you shop online or in store.

What are the top 3 cheapest grocery stores?

Using the latest Which? data from March 2026:

For the smaller basket of 95 items:

1. Aldi - £171.32
2. Lidl (with Lidl Plus) - £172.31
3. Lidl (without Lidl Plus) - £172.41

For the branded-goods basket of 241 items:

1. Asda - £813.16
2. Tesco (with Clubcard) - £821.39
3. Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) - £845.69

These are March 2026 findings, not permanent rankings. Prices change monthly.

What should shoppers do with this information?

Here is a practical checklist:

• ✅ Compare the items you actually buy - not a theoretical basket. Your shopping list may produce a different winner.
• ✅ Check unit prices - the price per kilogram or per litre tells you the real cost, not just the shelf price.
• ✅ Compare branded and own-brand versions - switching even a few items from branded to own-brand can cut your bill noticeably.
• ✅ Use loyalty cards if you are comfortable - they are free and can reduce prices, especially at Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
• ✅ Watch for changing offers - promotions, multibuy deals and loyalty-card discounts change weekly.
• ✅ Do not assume one supermarket is always cheapest - rankings shift month to month.
• ✅ Consider Aldi and Lidl for own-label basics - they are often cheapest for mixed baskets.
• ✅ Consider Asda if you buy many branded goods - it has been cheapest for branded items in recent months.
• ✅ Check online prices before a big shop - online and in-store prices can differ.

What has not been guaranteed?

Keep these points in mind:

• Asda is not guaranteed to be cheapest for every shopper or every basket.
• Not every branded item is cheapest at Asda.
• Aldi and Lidl were not included in the branded-goods analysis because of their limited branded range.
• Loyalty-card prices at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons can change.
• Prices vary by date, store, online availability and current promotions.
• Which?’s March 2026 figures should not be treated as permanent prices.
• Just Essentials by Asda is not the same as branded groceries.

Key background

UK supermarket price comparisons are published regularly by Which? and other consumer groups. They give shoppers a snapshot of how prices compare at a particular point in time.

Different types of comparison produce different winners. A branded-goods basket measures the cost of well-known brands across supermarkets. A smaller mixed basket includes both branded and own-brand items. Each tells a different story.

Loyalty-card pricing has changed how comparisons work. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons now offer member-only prices on many items. A shopper with Clubcard sees different shelf prices than a non-member. That means a single supermarket can appear in two positions in the same comparison - one price for members, another for everyone else.

Discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl do not carry the full range of branded products. They compete mainly on own-label goods and a limited branded selection. That makes them hard to compare directly on a 241-item branded basket - but they often rank first or second for smaller, mixed baskets.

Prices change month to month. Supermarkets adjust pricing in response to wholesale costs, competitor moves, seasonal demand and promotional cycles. A supermarket that is cheapest in March may not hold that position in April.

Simple shopping example

Four shoppers, four different results:

Shopper A buys mostly branded products - Heinz soup, Nescafé coffee, Mr Kipling cakes, Kellogg’s cereal. For this shopper, Asda is likely the cheapest option based on the March 2026 Which? data.

Shopper B buys mostly budget own-brand products and is happy to swap brands. This shopper may find Aldi or Lidl cheapest, since their own-label products tend to be the lowest-priced overall.

Shopper C shops at Tesco every week and uses Clubcard for all purchases. Tesco with Clubcard was only about 1% more expensive than Asda for branded goods in March 2026 - so the convenience of sticking with Tesco may outweigh a small saving.

Shopper D does not use any loyalty card and shops at Sainsbury’s. Without Nectar, Sainsbury’s branded basket was about 15% more than Asda - a difference worth knowing about.

Each shopper gets a different “cheapest” supermarket because each buys different things in different ways.

Common mistakes

Mistake: “Asda is cheapest for every single shop.” Reality: Asda was cheapest for a basket of 241 branded items in March 2026. For a smaller mixed basket, Aldi was cheapest. The cheapest supermarket depends on the basket.

Mistake: “Aldi and Lidl were beaten in the branded-goods study.” Reality: Aldi and Lidl were not included in the branded-goods comparison because they do not stock enough of the same branded products. They were not beaten - they were not measured.

Mistake: “Branded goods and Just Essentials are the same thing.” Reality: Just Essentials by Asda is Asda’s budget own-brand range. Branded goods are products from manufacturers such as Heinz and Nescafé. They are different categories.

Mistake: “Loyalty-card prices apply to everyone.” Reality: Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar and Morrisons More prices only apply to members. Non-members pay higher prices on selected items.

Mistake: “One monthly survey proves prices forever.” Reality: Supermarket prices change month to month. The March 2026 results are a snapshot, not a permanent ranking.

What happens next?

Watch for these changes in the coming months:

• Next month’s Which? comparison - will Asda hold the top spot for a third month?
• Tesco Clubcard and Nectar pricing changes - these schemes adjust regularly and could narrow the gap with Asda.
• Asda branded-grocery prices - if Asda raises prices on popular brands, the ranking could shift.
• Aldi and Lidl rankings - the discount supermarkets often move between first and second place for smaller baskets.
• Own-brand price changes - supermarkets regularly adjust own-brand pricing, which affects the mixed-basket rankings.
• Promotional cycles - seasonal offers and major promotions can temporarily change which supermarket is cheapest.

Do not treat any current ranking as a permanent fact. Check the latest data before making major changes to where you shop.

People Also Ask

What is Asda cheap brand called?

Asda’s budget own-brand range is called Just Essentials by Asda. It covers food, household and personal-care basics at Asda’s lowest prices. Just Essentials is separate from the branded groceries - such as Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling - that were measured in the Which? comparison.

What are the top 3 cheapest grocery stores?

It depends on the basket. For the smaller March 2026 basket of 95 items, Which? found Aldi cheapest (£171.32), followed by Lidl with Lidl Plus (£172.31) and Lidl without Lidl Plus (£172.41). For the longer branded-goods comparison of 241 items, Asda was cheapest (£813.16), followed by Tesco with Clubcard (£821.39) and Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£845.69).

Is Asda a cheap store?

Asda is competitive among the big UK supermarkets and was named cheapest for branded groceries in Which?’s March 2026 analysis. It is not usually cheaper than Aldi or Lidl for smaller mixed baskets, but for branded products it has been the most affordable big-chain option in recent months. Whether Asda is cheap for you depends on what you buy.

Which is the cheapest supermarket to buy?

It depends on your shopping list. For branded groceries in March 2026, Asda was cheapest according to Which?. For a smaller mixed basket, Aldi came first. The cheapest store for you depends on whether you buy brands, own-label goods, fresh food, or use loyalty cards such as Clubcard or Nectar.

People Also Search For

Asda cheapest supermarket branded goods

Which? named Asda the cheapest supermarket for a basket of 241 branded grocery items in its March 2026 analysis. Asda’s branded basket cost £813.16, less than Tesco with Clubcard, Sainsbury’s with Nectar and Morrisons with More.

Asda cheapest for branded groceries

In the March 2026 branded-grocery comparison by Which?, Asda was cheapest for the second month running. Asda’s prices were available to all shoppers without needing a loyalty card.

Asda branded groceries Which?

Which? is the UK consumer group that runs monthly supermarket price comparisons. Its March 2026 branded-goods analysis compared 241 popular branded items and found Asda cheapest at £813.16.

Cheapest supermarket branded goods

Branded-goods comparisons measure the cost of well-known brands across supermarkets. These often produce different results from smaller-basket or own-brand comparisons. Asda was cheapest for branded goods in March 2026, while Aldi was cheapest for a smaller mixed basket.

Cheapest supermarket UK 2026

Rankings change month to month. In March 2026, Aldi was cheapest for a smaller 95-item basket and Asda was cheapest for a larger 241-item branded basket. There is no single cheapest supermarket for every shopper.

Cheapest supermarket for big brands

Asda came top in the Which? March 2026 comparison of 241 popular branded items. The basket included brands such as Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling. Asda beat Tesco Clubcard prices by about 1% and Sainsbury’s Nectar prices by about 4%.

Asda cheaper than Tesco Clubcard

In the Which? March 2026 branded-goods comparison, Asda’s basket of 241 items (£813.16) was about 1% cheaper than Tesco with Clubcard (£821.39). Without Clubcard, Tesco’s basket cost £911.64 - about 12% more than Asda.

Asda cheaper than Sainsbury’s Nectar

In the same March 2026 comparison, Asda (£813.16) was about 4% cheaper than Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£845.69). Without Nectar, Sainsbury’s branded basket cost £933.82 - about 15% more than Asda.

Tesco Clubcard vs Asda prices

For branded goods in March 2026, Asda was cheaper. Tesco with Clubcard cost £821.39 for 241 branded items, compared with £813.16 at Asda. Without Clubcard, the gap widened to nearly £100. For smaller mixed baskets, Tesco with Clubcard (£198.07) was more expensive than Asda (£193.37).

Sainsbury’s Nectar vs Asda prices

For branded goods in March 2026, Asda (£813.16) was cheaper than Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£845.69) by about £32. Without Nectar, Sainsbury’s cost £933.82 - over £120 more than Asda for the same branded basket.

Morrisons More vs Asda prices

Morrisons with a More card cost £858.67 for the 241-item branded basket in March 2026, compared with £813.16 at Asda. That makes Morrisons about 6% more expensive than Asda for branded goods, even with the loyalty scheme.

Asda Just Essentials

Just Essentials by Asda is the supermarket’s budget own-brand range, covering basic food, household and personal-care products. It is Asda’s cheapest product tier and is separate from branded goods. The Which? branded-goods comparison did not measure Just Essentials products.

Is Asda cheaper than Aldi?

Not usually for a mixed basket. In the Which? March 2026 smaller basket of 95 items, Aldi cost £171.32 and Asda cost £193.37 - a difference of over £22. Aldi was not included in the branded-goods comparison because it does not stock enough branded products.

Is Asda cheaper than Lidl?

Lidl was cheaper than Asda for the smaller 95-item basket in March 2026 (£172.31 with Lidl Plus, compared with £193.37 at Asda). Lidl was not included in the branded-goods comparison because its branded range is too limited. For a branded-heavy shop, Asda may be cheaper, but for a mixed basket, Lidl usually costs less.

Is Asda cheaper than Tesco?

For branded goods in March 2026, yes - Asda was cheaper than Tesco even with Clubcard. The gap was small (about 1%) with Clubcard, but without it, Tesco was about 12% more expensive. For the smaller mixed basket, Asda (£193.37) was also cheaper than Tesco with Clubcard (£198.07).

Which supermarket is cheapest for branded groceries?

According to the Which? March 2026 analysis, Asda was cheapest for a basket of 241 branded grocery items at £813.16. This was the second consecutive month Asda held the top position for branded goods.

Bottom line

Asda was named cheapest for branded groceries in the Which? March 2026 analysis. The branded basket of 241 items cost £813.16 at Asda - less than Tesco with Clubcard (£821.39), Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£845.69) and Morrisons with a More card (£858.67).

This does not mean Asda is always cheapest for every shopper. For a smaller mixed basket of 95 items, Aldi was the cheapest store, with Lidl close behind and Asda coming fourth.

If you buy a lot of branded products and shop at a full-range supermarket, Asda has been the best value in recent months. If you are flexible on brands and happy to shop at a discounter, Aldi and Lidl may save you more.

The best advice: compare the items you actually buy, check unit prices, and do not assume any supermarket is permanently cheapest. Prices change, promotions rotate, and the cheapest store for your neighbour may not be the cheapest store for you.

This is general information about supermarket pricing, not personal financial advice. Check current prices before relying on any comparison.

Sources checked

• Official source: Which? March 2026 supermarket price comparison - branded-goods basket and smaller-basket analysis.
• Official source: Which? press release naming Asda cheapest supermarket for branded groceries for the second month running.
• Official source: Asda own-brand and Just Essentials range information via asda.com.
• Trusted reporting: Mirror coverage of the Which? March 2026 supermarket price analysis.
• Trusted reporting: Wales Online and regional media coverage via PA syndication.
• Trusted reporting: Edinburgh Live report on Which? March 2026 branded-goods and smaller-basket results.
• Trusted reporting: Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News coverage of the supermarket price comparison.
• Trusted reporting: The Independent reporting on Which? supermarket price findings.