Tesco has beaten Asda to become the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries in a new Which? price comparison, but only for shoppers using a Clubcard.
The difference was just £2.65 across 219 products, so the result doesn’t necessarily mean switching to Tesco will save you money on your weekly shop.
The new research from Which?, published on 9 October 2026, looked at popular brands including Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling throughout September.
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It is the first time Tesco has beaten Asda since Which? launched its separate branded-grocery tracker earlier this year.
How much did each supermarket cost?
Which? checked the prices of 219 branded products every day during September and worked out the average cost at each supermarket.
Here’s how they compared:
| Supermarket | Average total |
|---|---|
| Tesco with Clubcard | £757.71 |
| Asda | £760.36 |
| Morrisons with More | £771.81 |
| Morrisons | £773.42 |
| Sainsbury’s with Nectar | £786.82 |
| Ocado | £801.71 |
| Waitrose | £829.04 |
| Tesco without Clubcard | £861.50 |
| Sainsbury’s without Nectar | £869.65 |
These figures cover all 219 products, rather than a typical household food shop. They are also September averages, not necessarily the prices shoppers will find in stores now.
Although Tesco came first, its £2.65 advantage over Asda across the full list is fairly small.
Clubcard made a huge difference
The biggest finding wasn’t necessarily Tesco beating Asda. It was how much the results changed when loyalty discounts were removed.
At Tesco, the 219 products cost an average of £757.71 with a Clubcard, compared with £861.50 without one.
That’s a difference of £103.79 for exactly the same products.
The comparison included loyalty prices available to members, but did not count points or personalised offers, which vary between shoppers.
Which? found that 146 of the products were included in Clubcard promotions during September.
Without those discounts, Tesco was actually more expensive than Waitrose and Ocado for the branded products checked.
It shows just how much loyalty pricing can affect what shoppers pay.
However, a Clubcard discount doesn’t automatically make something cheaper than buying it elsewhere.
As we’ve previously reported on supermarket loyalty prices, getting a genuine discount and getting the lowest available price aren’t always the same thing.
Does this make Tesco the cheapest supermarket overall?
No, and this is an important distinction.
Which? carries out a separate monthly comparison covering a smaller selection of everyday groceries, including supermarket own-brand products.
In September’s overall supermarket comparison, Aldi was cheapest, with 93 products costing an average of £159.48.
The same selection cost £186.71 at Asda and £187.71 at Tesco with a Clubcard.
Aldi and Lidl weren’t included in the new branded-grocery comparison because they don’t stock enough of the same branded products.
So Tesco’s latest result doesn’t mean it has overtaken Aldi as the cheapest place for a general food shop.
What should shoppers do?
The research is useful, particularly if you regularly buy well-known brands, but there is no reason to change supermarkets based on the result alone.
Start by comparing the prices of products you actually buy each week.
The research also found much bigger differences on individual products. A pack of 50 Pampers nappies averaged £4.27 at Asda but £9.27 at Waitrose during September.
That’s a £5 difference on just one item, showing why checking prices on the products you actually buy can be more useful than following supermarket rankings.
If you shop at Tesco, using your Clubcard can make a difference to the price you pay, especially on products with member-only discounts.
But it’s still worth checking the price per 100g, kilogram or litre, rather than relying on the discount shown on the shelf.
You might find that a bigger pack, a different brand or a supermarket’s own version works out cheaper.
And if you mainly buy own-brand groceries, this particular Which? comparison may not tell you much about where your weekly shopping will cost the least.
For more practical ideas, see our guide on how to save money on groceries.
Tesco may have won this comparison, but the best way to save money is still to compare the products you actually buy, rather than assuming one supermarket will always be cheapest.
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