Asda retains its title as UK's cheapest online supermarket, says study by Alertr

Waitrose was ranked as the most expensive, with an average basket cost of £145.64, according to Alertr.

Andy Barr, co-founder of www.alertr.co.uk, said: “For the weekly shop, there’s significant cost difference between the top and bottom spots on the leader board of almost £23, up almost £10 from last month’s findings.

"However, the price gap between first and second place is still only by fine margins, with Morrisons just £2.35 more expensive than Asda. It’s a similar story for second and third place, showing the top three supermarkets are all competing much more closely: with a £2.39 price difference separating third-placed Sainsbury’s and the reigning champion, Asda.

He added: “It was certainly interesting to see patterns of consumer spending in December, with it being the most expensive time of the year, especially amid a cost-of-living crisis.

"Some supermarkets offered seasonal savings, but the cost of an average Christmas dinner alone was up by 6.5 per cent compared to 2021. What’s more, both Tesco and M&S have recently reported an uplift in sales over Christmas, but food prices continued to rise over the festive period; with most customers paying over the odds for essential food items.”

The online price-tracking website has been tracking the prices of 42 everyday items from the shopping basket on the Office for National Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 2019. Included within the list are items such as eggs, milk and bread, as well as non-perishables such as pasta, rice and cereal.