Asda was the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries in March

Asda was the cheapest on average for our list of branded groceries for the second month in a row, beating even the biggest loyalty card schemes. 

Sainsbury's and Tesco without loyalty cards were the most expensive on average once again for our list in March, which included 241 popular branded groceries such as Heinz beans, Nescafé coffee and Mr Kipling cakes. 

If you’re attached to your branded groceries, from butter and bread to coffee and cakes, read on to find out how much extra you might pay by shopping at the different supermarkets.  

Asda cheapest for branded goods

Asda was the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries in March, with the list of products coming to £813.16. 

Supermarkets that offer loyalty schemes were the next cheapest for the month, with members receiving significant discounts compared with non-members. Tesco with a Clubcard (£824.62), Sainsbury’s with Nectar (£849.08), and Morrisons with a More Card (£857.89) were, on average, 1.41%, 4.42%, and 5.5% more expensive, respectively, than Asda.

Shopping at Sainsbury’s without a Nectar loyalty card (£933.82) was the most expensive way to buy our branded list, at nearly 15% more on average than Asda. Tesco without a Clubcard (£911.64) was over 12% more than Asda. Without a loyalty card, both were more expensive than high-end Waitrose (£902.83) and Ocado (£889.43).

• Find out more: the best supermarkets in 2026, rated by customers.

The impact of loyalty card pricing

There were 166 products from Sainsbury’s on loyalty promotion through the month of our analysis, 142 at Tesco and four at Morrisons. None of the products on our list were part of a loyalty promotion at Waitrose.

While most people are part of a membership scheme, some customers may be unwilling to sign up to loyalty cards for reasons such as data privacy, and others have no choice due to unfair eligibility criteria. 

Currently, Tesco customers under 18 can't sign up for a Clubcard, but the supermarket recently said it would review this before the end of the year.

Asda and Ocado don’t have member-only pricing.

• Find out more: huge win for shoppers as Tesco reviews unfair Clubcard policy.

The products with the biggest price differences

We’ve compared the average price of branded groceries across supermarkets in March, including loyalty discounts where applicable, and identified the products with the largest percentage difference between the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets. 

On average, Tilda Boil in the Bag Basmati Rice (4-pack) saw the biggest difference between the highest and lowest price for the second month in a row. It was at its lowest price at Tesco, and was part of the supermarket’s new Everyday Low Prices commitment to keep prices low on loved brands.

There were significant savings to be had for Tesco Clubcard holders, as several of the products in our analysis were the cheapest on average for loyalty members but the most expensive under standard pricing. This included Nescafé Azera Americano Instant Coffee 90g, Plenty White Original Kitchen Rolls 2ea, Doritos Cool Original Tortilla Chips 180g and Dove Advanced Care Original Antiperspirant Deodorant Roll On 50ml, which were 107%, 65%, 63% and 60% more expensive for non-Clubcard holders. 

Last week, the boss of Filippo Berio told Sky News that supermarkets are 'taking the mickey out' of shoppers over olive oil prices, failing to pass on the price reduction to consumers. There are certainly savings to be made depending on where you shop – Filippo Berio Classic Olive Oil (500ml) was £4.98 on average at Asda compared to £8.51 at Waitrose – a 71% difference. Another Filippo Berio product, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (750ml), was £7 at Morrisons versus £11.35 at Waitrose, a £4.35 difference (62%).

Sainsbury's and Ocado weren't the cheapest for any of our examples this month. 

• Find out more: see how the supermarket loyalty schemes compare.

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What did the supermarkets say?

Each supermarket included in our price analysis was given the right to reply to our specific examples. Just Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose responded.

Sainsbury’s said: 'More than four in five of the items flagged in this report were cheaper on Nectar Prices and our customers know a good deal when they see one.

'We are committed to delivering outstanding value on the products people buy the most, including over 700 products in the biggest Aldi Price Match on the market and our own‑brand value lines.'

Tesco said: 'It is no surprise that Clubcard Prices deliver great value for customers, and with more than 80% of sales involving a Clubcard, there are millions of people taking advantage of this every week. However, shoppers can also get great value on thousands of products without using their Clubcard thanks to our combination of Aldi Price Match and Everyday Low Prices.'

Waitrose said: 'We consistently offer great value on our customers' favourite brands. This assessment only provides a snapshot, and does not take into account the wide range of promotions on other products belonging to the brands included within this analysis.'

• Find out more: Aldi Price Match scheme secrets.

Where are Aldi and Lidl?

Our research has shown that the discounters offer good value, and are consistently the lowest priced in our monthly cheapest supermarket analysis, which includes a large number of own-label products and a handful of branded items. 

We couldn’t include Aldi and Lidl in this analysis because they don’t stock the same range of branded goods as the non-discounter supermarkets.

• Find out more: the cheapest supermarket of the month.