'I did a big shop at the supermarket that's now cheaper than Aldi and Lidl for basics'

It's well known that budget retailers Aldi and Lidl typically undercut the big four supermarkets.

In the Manchester Evening News' weekly price comparison of staple items like bread and milk, which has been conducted since March 2022, it's usually one of these two that comes out on top. So, it was quite a surprise when Morrisons emerged as the cheapest last week, particularly as it was the priciest just five months ago.

The reason for this turnaround is largely due to a significant expansion of its More Card scheme. This loyalty programme, similar to Tesco's Clubcard and Sainsbury's Nectar card, offers exclusive prices on certain products and allows customers to accumulate points that can be converted into vouchers.

This month, Morrisons has introduced hundreds more More Card prices, slashing the cost of over 2,000 of its top-selling and branded items. This includes a 15 per cent reduction in the price of its 330g pack of chicken breasts, which helped it snatch the 'cheapest' title from Aldi last week, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Intrigued by this new development, Parents Editor Emma Gill decided to do a large shop at Morrisons to see how its prices stack up overall. She made sure to sign up for a More Card first, which can easily be done via their website or app. Here is what she had to say about her experience.

"The empty shelf where that bargain chicken should be was a sure sign that the reductions are proving popular with shoppers. And it's not just the More Card luring shoppers in.

"The larger 1kg pack of chicken breasts I bought was £6.49, the same as at Aldi and Lidl as part of Morrisons' price match with both retailers, which launched in February. But I earned 400 points on them too, along with hundreds more points on five other items. For every 5,000 points you collect, you get a £5 voucher to spend in store."

She said she saved almost £13 with More Card offers overall and was "seriously impressed" with some of the reductions, including honeydew melons down from £1.89 - the price at Aldi and Lidl - to £1.50 each, and Pot Noodles reduced from £1.20 each to 65p.

Emma continued: "Lots of the discounts applied to big brands too and I picked up a 605ml bottle of Heinz Ketchup down from £3.90 to £3, a 300g tub of Bisto gravy down from £3.79 to £2.50, a pack of seven Gold bars down from £1.75 to £1 and tins of Ambrosia Custard down from £1.99 each to £1.50 for two.

"A decent five for £5 frozen deal meant I was able to stock up some of the kids' favourites like Alphabites and Birds Eye Crispy Chicken too.

"I didn't need any beans, but it was good to see a four-pack of Heinz down to £3 with the More Card and cereals like Rice Krispies (430g), Frosties (470g) and Shreddies (630g) down to £2.50 a box. The 200g jars of Kenco coffee, down from £7 to £5, are the lowest price I've seen for a while."

"I rarely buy real brand Magnum ice cream lollies these days as they tend to be too expensive," Emma explained. "So my kids were delighted when I returned with two three-packs, which were less than half the usual £3.25 price at £1.58.

"The lower prices meant I was able to buy some other treats that I've tended to leave out of the trolley these days too.

"I don't have to tell you how much chocolate has risen in cost, so it was a novelty to see Cadbury packs on offer for two for £3. The Wispa Gold and Dairy Milk packs I picked up would usually cost £1.75 each at Asda and Tesco. I also got a packet of Rowntree's Safari Mix, down from £1.50 to £1."

Aside from the More Card and the Aldi and Lidl Price Match, Emma said there were several other reductions that helped her save too, including a six-pack of Seabrook crisps for £1.25, two loaves of Hovis bread for £2.50 and a pack of Extra Large Young's Chip Shop Fish Fillets down from £3.25 to £2.50.

She commented: "But it's the extra touches that Morrisons has that I like too. We love their fresh pizzas from the counter and I got a huge 14 inch pepperoni one for £4.75. I picked up a pack of four large Lincolnshire sausage rolls from the pastry counter for £2 and then there's the fresh bread from the bakery, with a pack of six wonderfully soft, large tiger rolls costing me £1.30.

"With special offers and the More Card I saved a total of £24.72 on a £160 shop, which is certainly no small change."

Morrisons may not have nabbed the Which? title for the UK's Cheapest Supermarket just yet, but its concoction of the More Card, competitive price matching, and various deals are certainly pulling in the punters.

Aldi disputes the results of the Manchester Evening News' weekly comparison, and says that it doesn't take into account like-for-like products or ‘the higher quality’ of its products.

A spokesperson for Aldi said: "Our promise to customers is that they will make significant savings every time they shop with Aldi, which is why we've been named Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for three years running. Which? has also named Aldi the UK's Cheapest Supermarket every month this year, even in its latest analysis including loyalty prices."