Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury's Tesco and Asda increase prices of 138 value range items over last month - and cost of living crisis worsens
Exclusive research by sister website NationalWorld has revealed that almost half of the value range products on offer at five major supermarkets – often relied upon by the lowest income shoppers – have increased in price since April.
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Hide AdIt has been tracking the online price of around 700 value range items across Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Aldi, taking snapshots on the first Monday of the month.
In the last month alone, between 6 June and 4 July, the stores hiked up the price of 138 (20 per cent) of the products it tracked – two-fifths of them at Tesco alone.
That followed rises for 175 items between May and June, and 102 between April and May.
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Hide AdThe number of items tracked increased slightly in the latest round, taking into account new products at Morrisons and Asda.
Read on for the full list of value range products that saw price increases last month.
What brands are included?
While Asda and Morrisons are home to a single budget product line (Asda Smart Price and Morrisons Savers) Tesco and Sainsbury’s both ditched their value lines in recent years, replacing them with a range of in-house brands in an effort to keep up with German rivals Aldi and Lidl.
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Hide AdAt Tesco these include Ms Molly’s (confectionery and treats), Stockwell & Co (food cupboard essentials) and Creamfields (dairy products).
Sainsbury’s meanwhile boasts Hubbard Foodstores (stock cupboard essentials), J. James and Family (fresh and frozen meat and fish) and Stamford Street (chilled products such as ready meals), among others.
Aldi carries an Everyday Essentials value range. However, many products that are not part of this specific value range have a price point similar to budget items at other supermarkets.
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Hide AdAsda announced earlier this year that it was scrapping the Smart Price line and replacing it with one called Just Essentials, which is currently being rolled out. NationalWorld is monitoring how prices have changed for like-for-like replacements.
Asda
Asda put up the prices for just six of the 171 value range products that were available on the first Monday of June and July, while dropping the price for one item.
The previous month it had imposed price rises on 46 out of 157 items.
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Hide AdHowever, since our first price snapshot on 4 April, Asda has hiked prices on almost half of its value range groceries (74 out of 158), with an average rise of 11% for items that got more expensive.
Not all products have been available for the entire period between April and July.
The full list of items that saw price rises between June and July, ranked by percentage increase is below:
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Hide AdASDA Smart Price Sponge Mix 225G – 35p up to 40p, rise of 14%
ASDA Smart Price Baked Beans & Sausages in Tomato Sauce 405G – 39p up to 42p, rise of 8%
ASDA Farm Stores Avocados 4pk – £1.19 up to £1.25, rise of 5% (now renamed Just Essentials by ASDA Avocados 4pk)
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Hide AdASDA Farm Stores Plums 400g – 62p up to 65p, rise of 5% (now renamed Just Essentials by ASDA Plums 400g)
JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Easy Peelers 600g – 72p up to 75p, rise of 4.2% (new product not available in May)
ASDA Farm Stores Kiwis 6pk – 82p up to 85p, rise of 4%. Was previously 67p, then 78p. (now renamed JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Kiwis 6pk
Asda did not respond to a request for comment.
Tesco
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Hide AdTesco put up prices for 55 products last month – 26% of the 214 products that were available in June and July. That compared to four price decreases.
Of these 55, 17 had seen price rises for at least two months in a row.
The average price rise for the products that got more expensive in June was 10%.
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Hide AdIn total, Tesco has increased the price of 99 out of 208 products (48%) that have been in our price tracker between the start of April and July, with an average increase of 14%.
The full list of items that saw price rises between June and July, ranked by percentage increase is below:
Nightingale Peppers 600G – 96p up to £1.16, rise of 21%
H.W. Nevill's Part Baked Baguette 2 Pack – 49p up to 59p, rise of 20%
Eastmans Brussels Pate 175G – 49p up to 59p rise of 20%
Eastmans Ardennes Pate 175G – 49p up to 59p, rise of 20%
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Hide AdRosedene Farms Small Apple 6 Pack– 79p up to 95p, rise of 20%
Ms Molly's 12 Iced Fairy Cakes – 85p up to 99p, rise of 16%
Suntrail Farms Fruit Salad 200G – 85p up to 99p, rise of 16%
Ms Molly's Digestive biscuits 400g – 39p up to 45p, rise of 15% (was previously 35p)
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Hide AdStockwell & Co rice pudding 400g – 20p up to 23p, rise of 15%
Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta 500G – 20p up to 23p, rise of 15%
Redmere Farms Beetroot 500G – 69p up to 79p, rise of 14%
Growers Harvest Orange Juice With Bits 1L – 69p up to 79p, rise of 14%
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Hide AdHearty food co breaded chicken goujons 270g – £1.49 up to £1.69, rise of 13%
Ms Molly's Chocolate digestive biscuits 300g – 49p up to 55p, rise of 12%
Stockwell & Co Pickled Onion 440G – 49p up to 55p, rise of 12%
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Hide AdGrowers Harvest British Mushy Peas 300G – 25p up to 28p, rise of 12%
Stockwell & Co crunchy peanut butter 340g – 89p up to 99p, rise of 11%
Hearty Food Co. 2 Garlic Chicken Kievs 260G – £1.79 up to £1.99, rise of 11% (was previously £1.65)
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Hide AdRedmere Farms Baby Potato 1Kg – 81p up to 90p, rise of 11% (was previously 79p)
Heart food co sweet and source sauce 440g – 55p up to 61p, rise of 11%
Willow Farm Chicken Drumsticks 900G - 1.2Kg – £1.98 up to £2.19, rise of 11% (was previously £1.73 then £1.88)
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Hide AdMs Molly's 8 Chewy Caramel Wafer Biscuits 224G – 95p up to £1.05, rise of 11% (was 85p)
Hearty food co penne pasta 500g – 29p up to 32p, rise of 10%
Creamfields Greek Style Natural Yogurt 500G – 59p up to 65p, rise of 10% (Was 49p then 55p)
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Hide AdCreamfields Fat Free Greek Style Natural Yogurt 500G – 59p up to 65p, rise of 10%
Creamfields Grated Mature Cheddar 250G – £1.59 up to £1.75, rise of 10% (was £1.49)
Creamfields Grated Lighter Mature Cheese 250G – £1.59 up to £1.75, rise of 10%
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Hide AdCreamfields Lighter Mature Cheese 400G – £1.99 up to £2.19, rise of 10% (was £1.79 then £1.89)
Creamfields mature white cheddar 400g – £1.99 up to £2.19, rise of 10% (was £1.79 then £1.89)
Creamfields mild white cheddar 400g – £1.99 up to £2.19, rise of 10% (was £1.79 then £1.89)
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Hide AdCreamfields Red Leicester Cheese 400G – £1.99 up to £2.19, rise of 10% (was £1.79 then £1.89)
Grower's harvest red kidney beans in water 400g – 30p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Ms Molly's Strawberry Trifle (2X115g) 230G – 61p up to 67p, rise of 10%
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Hide AdStockwell & Co. Ready Salted Crisps 6X25g – 72p up to 79p, rise of 10%
Growers Harvest Tomato Puree 200G – 31p up to 34p, rise of 10%
Redmere Farms Fresh Greens – 65p up to 71p, rise of 9%
Rosedene Farms Raspberries 125G – £1.24 up to £1.35, rise of 9%
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Hide AdButcher's choice chicken breast fillets 1kg – £3.50 up to £3.79, rise of 8%
Suntrail Farms Kiwi X6 – 79p up to 85p, rise of 8% (was previously 67p then 75p)
Eastmans Minced Beef & Onion Pasty 150G – 41p up to 44p, rise of 7% (was 37p)
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Hide AdStockwell & Co gravy granules 200g – 30p up to 32p, rise of 7%
Willow Farm Whole Chicken 1.2Kg - 1.6Kg – £2.89 up to £3.08, rise of 7%
Willow Farm Chicken Breast Portions 900G -1.2Kg – £5.72 up to £6.08, rise of 6%
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Hide AdNightingale Farms Baby Plum Tomatoes 250G – 65p up to 69p, rise of 6%
Eastman's Chicken Roll Slices 250G – £1.06 up to £1.12, rise of 6%
Hearty Food Co 4 Chicken & Vegetable Pies 484G – £1.44 up to £1.52, rise of 6%
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Hide AdWillow Farm Chicken Thighs 900G - 1.2Kg – £2.19 up to £2.30, rise of 5% (was previously £1.94 then £2.09)
Suntrail Farms Soft Citrus Pack 600G – 69p up to 72p, rise of 4%
Nightingale Farms Cherry Tomatoes 250G – 48p up to 50p, rise of 4%
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Hide AdRedmere Farms Red Onion 1Kg – 72p up to 75p, rise of 4% (was previously 67p then 70p)
Ms Molly's Vanilla ice cream 2 L – 99p up to £1.02
Hearty Food Thin Pepperoni Pizza 314G – 67p up to 69p, rise of 3%
Suntrail Farms Grapes 500G – £1.24 up to £1.27, rise of 2% (was previously £1.06)
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Hide AdSuntrail Farms Green Grapes 500G – £1.24 up to £1.27, rise of 2% (was previously £1.06)
Nightingale Farms Peppers 375G – 98p up to £1, rise of 2% (was previously 89p then 95p)
A Tesco spokesperson said: “With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop.
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Hide Ad“We have significantly increased the number of value lines we offer and whether it’s price matching basics to Aldi prices, promising Low Everyday Prices on household staples, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s increased the price of 23 products last month, 17% of the 137 products in our tracker between the start of June and July, alongside three price decreases. Of these, five had seen price rises for at least two consecutive months.
The average price rise was 15%.
Since April, 70 out of 138 products (51%) in our tracker have gone up in price, also by an average of 15%.
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Hide AdThe full list of items that saw price rises between June and July, ranked by percentage increase is below:
Hubbard's Foodstore orange marmalade medium cut 454g – 27p up to 49p, rise of 82%
Hubbard's Foodstore sweet and sour sauce 500g – 55p up to 69p, rise of 26%
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Hide AdHubbard's Foodstore spaghetti rings 400g – 13p up to 16p, rise of 23%
Hubbard's curry sauce 440g – 45p up to 55p, rise of 22%
Mary Ann's dairy hard cheese 200g – £2.05 up to £2.50, rise of 22%
Mary Ann's Dairy Grated Mozzarella 500g – £2.50 up to £3, rise of 20%
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Hide AdLovett's digestive biscuits 400g – 39p up to 45p, rise of 15%
Hubbard's Foodstore rice pudding 400g – 20p up to 23p, rise of 15%
Sainsbury's Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits, Basics 300g – 49p up to 55p, rise of 12%
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Hide AdHubbard's Foodstore Mushy Peas 300g – 25p up to 28p, rise of 12%
Mary Ann's Dairy red leicester 600g – £2.99 up to £3.29, rise of 10%
Lovett's dark chocolate 100g – 3p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Lovett's milk chocolate 100g – 3p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Lovett's white chocolate 100g – 3p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Stamford Street 1.5kg chips – 90p up to 99p, rise of 10%
Allcroft's Deli Classics Cheese & Onion Quiche 400g – £1.45 up to £1.59, rise of 10%
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Hide AdHubbard's Foodstore custard 385g – 35p up to 38p, rise of 9% (was 32p)
Sainsbury's British Frozen Chicken Mixed Portions Pack 2kg – £3.50 up to £3.75, rise of 7%
Hubbard's Foodstore gravy granules 170g – 45p up to 48p, rise of 7%
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Hide AdJ. James and Family breaded fresh British chicken goujons 270g – £1.60 up to £1.69, rise of 6% (was £1.49)
Mary Ann's dairy soft cheese 200g – 75p up to 79p, rise of 5% (was 69p)
Lovett's Chocolate Chip Cake Bars x5 107g – 39p up to 40p, rise of 3%
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Hide AdJ.James and Family Free Range Eggs Mixed Weight x10 – £1.30 up to £1.33, rise of 2% (was £1.19 then £1.26)
Sainsbury’s has consistently told NationalWorld that it is not fair to focus on a selection of value range products when it carries 40,000 items in its stores, and that doing so does not give a true reflection of the value they offer customers.
“With costs going up, we are working hard to keep prices low,” a spokesperson said. “We are investing over half a billion pounds to ensure the items people buy most often are on the shelves at the best prices and we are confident our Sainsbury’s Quality, Aldi Price Match campaign and Price Lock promise are making a big difference to our customers.”
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Hide AdThey offered no comment when pushed on the impact on poorer shoppers of price rises to budget lines.
Aldi
Aldi put up the price of 16 Everyday Essentials products last month, 18% of the 91 products we were tracking. The average increase was 11%.
There was one price decrease during this time.
Since April, 31 out of 91 products have seen price rises, with an average increase of 12%.
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Hide AdThe full list of items that saw price rises between June and July, ranked by percentage increase is below:
Sparkling Water 2 Litres – 17p up to 23p, rise of 36%
Spaghetti Hoops In Tomato Sauce 410g – 13p up to 16p, rise of 23%
Rice pudding 400g – 20p up to 230, rise of 15%
Carrots 1.5kg – 44p up to 49p, rise of 11% (price had been reduced between May and June, from 45p to 44p)
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Hide AdPlums 400g – 62p up to 69p, rise of 11% (was previously 59p)
Dark chocolate 100g – 30p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Milk Chocolate 100g – 30p up to 33p, rise of 10%
White chocolate 100g – 30p up to 33p, rise of 10%
Frozen Chicken breast fillets 1kg – £3.50 up to £3.79, rise of 8%
Strawberries 227g – £1.29p up to £1.39, rise of 8% (had previously been £1.49 before being dropped to £1.29 between May and June)
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Hide AdBreaded ham 15 slices 400g – £1.85 up to £1.99, a rise of 8% (was previously £1.69)
Honey cured ham 15 slice 400g – £1.85 up to £1.99, a rise of 8% (was previously £1.69)
Tomato Baby Plum 250g – 65p up to 69p, a rise of 6%
Tomato Cherry 250g – 48p up to 50p, rise of 4%
White Grapes 500g – £1.24 up to £1.27, rise of 2% (was previously £1.06)
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Hide AdRed Grapes 500g – £1.24 up to £1.27, rise of 2% (was previously £1.06)
An Aldi spokesperson said that the average increase across the six products was just 7p each.
They added: “We are the lowest-priced supermarket in Britain and our customers always pay less for their shop with Aldi, which is why we were named as the cheapest supermarket in June by consumer champion Which?
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Hide Ad“Value is the number one consideration for most households as they wrestle with rising costs and our promise to our customers is that we will always provide the lowest grocery prices in Britain.”
Morrisons
Morrisons increased the price of 38 products between the start of June and July – 44% of the 87 products in our tracker. The average increase for products that saw price rises was 23%, far higher than the average of 14% across all supermarkets.
Four products saw price rises for at least two consecutive months.
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Hide AdIt also dropped the price of seven products during this time, while seven products were discontinued.
Since April, 20 out of the original 43 items in our tracker (before it expanded its Savers line) have seen price rises, at an average of 16% for those that went up.
For several products, Morrisons has moved them in and out of promotion.
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Hide AdThe full list of items that saw price rises between June and July, ranked by percentage increase is below:
Beef Curry 392g – 80p up to £1.49, rise of 86%
Chilli Con Carne 392g – 71p up to £1.32, rise of 86%
Gravy Granules 200g – 32p up to 56p, rise of 75%
Long Grain White Rice 1kg – 45p up to 71p, rise of 58%
Mushy Peas 300g – 18p up to 28p, rise of 56%
Spaghetti Loops 410g – 17p up to 25p, rise of 47%
marrowfat peas 300g – 39p up to 55p, rise of 41%
Pasta Shapes 500g – 32p up to 45p, rise of 41%
Chocolate Mini Rolls 6 per pack – 45p up to 60p, rise of 33%
Orange Marmalade 454g – 30p up to 39p, rise of 30%
M savers Potatoes (540g) 360g – 35p up to 45p, rise of 29% (previously 34p then dropped to 33p)
Curry Sauce 440g – 44p up to 55p, rise of 25%
Mayonnaise 500ml – 44p up to 53p, rise of 20%
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Hide AdM savers Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce 395g – 16p up to 19p, rise of 19%
18 Toilet Rolls 18 per pack – £2.99 up up £3.50, rise of 17%
Muesli 1kg – £1.20 up to £1.39, rise of 16%
Instant Hot Chocolate Drink 400g – £1.09 up to £1.25, rise of 15%
Fish Fingers 10 Pack 250g – 69p up to 79p, rise of 14%
Regular Instant Coffee 100g – 75p up to 85p, rise of 14%
Strawberry Jam 450g – 31p up to 35p, rise of 13%
Still Water 2L – 17p up to 19p, rise of 12%
Sparkling Spring Water 2L – 17p up to 19p, rise of 12%
Sweetcorn in Water 326g – 35p up to 39p, rise of 11%
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Hide AdRaspberry & Vanilla Flavour Mini Rolls 6 per pack – 45p up to 50p, rise of 11%
Long Life Skimmed Milk 1L – 59p up to 65p, rise of 10%
Bitter 2% 4 x 440ml – 90p up to 99p, rise of 10%
Prawns 200g – £2 up to £2.19, rise of 10%
White Chocolate 100g – 33p up to 36p, rise of 9%
Milk Chocolate 100g – 33p up to 36p, rise of 9%
Dark Chocolate 100g – 33p up to 36p, rise of 9%
Creamed Rice Pudding 400g – 23p up to 25p, rise of 9%
Custard 385g – 36p up to 39p, rise of 8%
Biscuit Assortment 700g – £1.39 up to £1.49, rise of 7%
Honey 340g – 69p up to 72p, rise of 4%
French Set Yogurts 6 x 125g – £1.20 up to £1.25, rise of 4%
M Savers Chocolate Supreme Desserts 6 x 90g – £1.20 up to £1.25, rise of 4%
Washing Up Liquid 500ml – 34p up to 35p, rise of 3%
Laundry Powder 3.333kg – £2.59 up to £2.60, rise of 0.4%
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We know that this is a very tough time for customers and so one of the recent changes we have made is to improve our My Morrisons loyalty scheme.
“Customers who are part of it will be rewarded with instant offers when they shop to help them save money.”