Tesco vs. Sainsbury's vs. Asda vs. Waitrose: Which One is Cheapest for Groceries in British?

• Tesco

History

Originally founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen, Tesco is a large U.K. grocery firm and retailer that headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England.. As of Apr. 2024, it is the U.K. grocery market leader with a 27% market share. Jack Cohen began selling surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London in 1919. He left the Royal Flying Corp at the end of the Great War and used his demob money to buy the first day’s stock. From day one, Jack believed in putting affordable food in the reach of everybody. Cohen began selling tea under the Tesco brand in the mid-1920s. In 1929, he opened his first Tesco store where he sold dry goods and Tesco tea. The 1930s saw Jack Cohen buying stores and growing the business. Tesco expanded across London, into the suburbs and neighbouring counties. 

Much of the company's growth has come through acquisitions. While the original focus was on groceries, the company has expanded its portfolio of offerings to include a diversified interest in clothing, books, furniture, toys, electronics, software, financial services, and even gasoline.This expansion in the nineties saw Tesco reposition itself from a low-cost retailer to one that appeals to many social groups by offering a range of own-label selections, from 'Tesco Value' items to its 'Tesco Finest' range. It operates a number of different sized stores, with Tesco Extra at one end of the spectrum, which are larger supermarkets that stock nearly all of Tesco's product ranges and a large range of non-food goods, to 'One Stop' stores which act as small convenience stores. The number of stores operated by Tesco have increased year on year, reaching over 4,100 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland as of 2024.

Quality

Tesco’s quality control is achieved through two main methods, such as, inspecting and testing the goods. These methods are applied to the entire process of production. Even the selection of raw materials goes through this process. 

Tesco's product quality score is a 3.8 out of 5 as rated by its users and customers.  It is just average. Some of their Tesco Finest stuff is pretty decent. They've got a poor reputation for fresh meat/vegetables/fruit which tend to be pretty poor quality in a lot of stores. Everything else is definitely not awful though. However,  it is worthing mentioned that there were 115 reports of food poisoning from Tesco, the only supermarket to reach triple digits among the four.

Price

The Tesco is the second cheapest supermarket among the four. With Low Everyday Prices, you don't need to shop around for great value – they have locked prices on over 1,000 branded and own-brand productsuntil January 2024. Tesco will check prices across the market to ensure they offer competitive value every time you shop.

Many parents love Tesco’s F&F school uniform range. The clothes have a 100-day guarantee, including shoes – so if they wear out (and 100 days is a big chunk of time,) just take them back and get your child a brand new pair for no extra cost.

Membership

Join Clubcard members is free. To join Clubcard, you’ll need to register for a Tesco account. You can register and become a Clubcard member by downloading the Tesco Grocery & Clubcard app on your smart phone from the App Store or Google Play. You can also follow the steps online at tesco.com.  You need to be 18 or over to join. A Tesco Clubcard can save you a fair bit of money.

Tesco have special Clubcard prices instore and online for Tesco Clubcard holders. These can save you loads of money and they change regularly. It’s not random stuff you’d not usually buy either – currently there’s savings on many essentials including milk, ham, fresh veg and multipack kit-kats!

For every £1 you spend on Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go, you get 1 Clubcard point. So if you have amassed 1000 points – you'll have a voucher worth £10 in your account. Money-saving pros know that to maximise the points up to three times what they are worth, you use them at a Clubcard reward partner such as Hotels.com, Eurostar, Alton Towers and Prezzo.

You will also receive personalised coupons for money off shopping, so check it regularly.
Clubcard Plus is additional to the standard Clubcard (which is free).  If you’re a Clubcard Plus subscriber (£7.99 a month, 1-month free trial) you get all the great Tesco in-store benefits – including saving up to £40 on your monthly shopping. These great benefits are:

• Double data and double Clubcard points from Tesco Mobile (conditions apply);

• 10% off two shops of your choice in-store (exclusions and limits apply);

• 10% off selected Tesco Brands in-store: F&F clothing, Fred & Flo baby & toddler products, Carousel toys, Tesco Pet, Fox & Ivy homeware, and Go Cook Premium Cookware, all the time.

Unfortunately, the discount is only available when buying in-store and is not available online.

Delivery Service

Tesco deliver to most UK residential addresses. The standard delivery charge is between £3–£7, depending on location. Click+Collect slot charge is between £0–£2, depending on location. 

A £5 minimum basket charge will be added to delivery orders at the checkout, where the basket value is under our £50 minimum basket value. If you want to save on your online deliveries, consider signing up to one of Tesco's  Delivery Saver plans.

Saving Tip: Such a high amount of cash back comes from Extrabux (What is Extrabux?), it also offers coupon codes and recent promotions, and brings together 10,000+ sites (US, China, UK, Japan, Australia , Germany, France, Italy, etc.).

Just sign up for an Extrabux account and earn up to 80% cash back every time you place an order via the relevant link. Sign-Up Bonus: Join for FREE & Earn $20 Welcome Bonus today! Then earn $5 Friend Referral Bonus!

For Example, If you use Instacart for quick and effective grocery delivery , you can get $1.6 Super Cash Back from Extrabux!

• Sainsbury's

History

Established in 1869 by John James Sainsbury, Sainsbury’s has a rich history spanning over 150 years. It is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom after Tesco, with a 14.9% share of the supermarket sector.  In 1868 John Sainsbury, dairyman, opened his first shop at 173 Drury Lane. He had just married Mary Anne Staples and in 1872, on the birth of their second son, the family moved to 159 Queen’s Crescent, the second shop in the chain. By 1881, Sainsbury’s had no fewer than three shops in Queen’s Crescent, besides several elsewhere.In 1950, Sainsbury’s revolutionized the shopping experience by launching the first self-service store, allowing customers to choose their products directly from the shelves.

From the 1970s Sainsbury's established itself as a truly national retailer. In September 2016, it took a step further into nonfood retailing with the purchase of Home Retail Group, operating the Habitat and Argos chains (general merchandise and electronics stores), for GBP 1.10 billion. Now, with over 1,400 stores nationwide, Sainsbury’s holds a significant market share in the British retail industry.Sainsbury’s operates a range of store formats, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and online delivery services, catering to diverse customer needs.As a leading supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s has been serving customers for over a century, providing a wide range of products including fresh produce, groceries, household items, clothing, and electrical goods, catering to the diverse needs of its customers.

Quality

While Sainsbury and Tesco are similar, the Sainsbury has a better reputation for quality. They clam that they are consistently ranked ahead of  their peers on the quality of their food and they regularly review and improve their own-brand product ranges.

The Sainsbury is committed to providing customers with high-quality products sourced from trusted suppliers, ensuring freshness and satisfaction. Comared to Tesco  and Asda , the fact is that the quality of certain items really will be higher at Sainsbury's.

Price

Offering delicious, great quality food at competitive prices has been at the heart of what Sainsbury do since their first store opened in 1869. But traditionally, Sainsbury’s has been seen as a higher end supermarket than Tesco. This means that prices were generally a tad more expensive than Tesco but food quality was seen as better. 

You can Check out the Sainsbury’s Basics range for economically priced, everyday essentials. Sainsbury’s also offers affordable and stylish clothing options through its Tu clothing brand, catering to fashion-conscious customers. There is also “My Nectar Prices”, which personalises discounts for you based on your shopping habits. Additionly, Sainsbury’s toy sale is something parents get very excited about. Typically, it’s just once a year, around October, and discounts run from 25%-50% off. The sale only lasts a week and is in-store only.

Membership

Sainsbury's operates the Nectar loyalty program, allowing customers to earn points and enjoy various benefits, including discounts and special offers. You can sign up for a Nectar card for free online, by downloading the Nectar app or by picking up a Nectar card in-store.

You'll get a lower price on selected items as a Nectar cardholder. The Sainsbury has launched Nectar Prices. This membership scheme offers 18 million Nectar customers discounts of up to 50 per cent on more than 450 supermarket essentials, such as washing up liquid, breakfast cereal and teabags. Plus, you can collect one point per £1 spent at Sainsbury’s when you sign up to Nectar. Five hundred points are worth £2.50.

Delivery Service

Sainsbury’s provides online grocery shopping through their website and mobile app, offering customers a convenient way to have their groceries delivered to their doorstep.

With Sainsbury's Delivery Pass, you can pay an upfront fee and then pay no delivery charge on your online grocery orders. They offer 3 types of passes, a monthly, a 6 month and a 12-month pass. There are two you can choose from :

Anytime Delivery Pass entitles you to anyone free delivery per day, 7 days per week when you spend £40 or more. This pass costs £80 for 12 months, £43 for 6 months or £7.50 for a monthly pass. You will still be able to place orders for less than £40 but will be charged the standard delivery charge of £7.

Midweek Delivery Pass entitles you to anyone free delivery per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when you spend £40 or more. Any deliveries outside of these times will be charged at the delivery rate as advertised on Sainsbury's website. This pass costs £40 for 12 months, or £4 for a monthly pass.

Please note: your Delivery Pass can only be used for Sainsbury's Online Groceries, and not any Non-Food orders.
You can also choose from one of 322 nationwide stores to collect from, pick a 1 hour slot, then get shopping. On the day of collection, they will have everything ready and waiting for you to grab and go. There is no minimum order value on any Click & Collect grocery order.

• Asda

History

Asda is a British supermarket chain. Its headquarters are in Leeds, England.The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorkshire. It expanded into Southern England during the 1970s and 1980s, and acquired Allied Carpets, 61 large Gateway Supermarkets and other businesses, such as MFI Group. It sold these acquisitions during the 1990s to concentrate on the supermarkets. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until 1999 when it was acquired by Walmart for £6.7 billion.

There are 634 ASDA stores in the United Kingdom now. They employ more than 145,000 colleagues that serve over 18 million customers at Supercentres, Superstores, and smaller supermarkets. ASDA offer a wide range of fresh food, beverages, grocery, bakery products, health and beauty items, clothing, home, leisure, and entertainment goods. Asda was the second-largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2014 by market share, at which point it fell into third place. As of 2024, Asda’s market share in the UK is 14.3%. Asda is known for its penetrative pricing, with more than 18 million people shopping with Asda every week and 98% of UK homes being served by its online services.

Quality

Asda has been named the ‘most complained about’ supermarket in the UK, with an overwhelming majority (83%) of the supermarket’s Trustpilot reviews classed as ‘negative’. Customers surveyed between October and November 2018 took issue with the supermarket's food quality, awarding its in-house brands the lowest possible score of one star.

However, Asda isn't that bad. You can find everything cheap. also their international food sections are really good. meat and fruit/veg quality is good.

Price

Asda's slogan “Save Money. Live better” is a further proof that it is based completely on the style of Walmart which has the famous tagline“Every day low prices”. It was the cheapest groceries among the four, continuing its reign as the cheapest big supermarket.

Don't write off Asda’s clothing range: George, which is your best bet for reasonably-priced home-ware and casual clothes. It often trending on Tiktok because it’s so stylish. The bras in particular are a bargain, especially if you have a bigger bust and want something pretty.

Membership

Asda Rewards is Asda's loyalty scheme which is a smart phone app. With Asda Rewards, you can earn online as well as in store. To get started, download the Asda Rewards app and log in with your existing Asda Groceries account. This will link both accounts, tracking your orders and updating any rewards progress automatically! If you're new to Asda, you can register in the app.

It gives you exciting opportunities to earn rewards into a Cashpot which you can spend at Asda. You can get 10% in your Cashpot for each Star Product you buy. Super Star Products give you even more.

Delivery Service

Delivery Passes are a great way to save money on home shopping delivery costs. Instead of paying a delivery charge each time you shop, you can make a one-off annual payment or choose a pay-monthly plan. Once you have a pass, choose a delivery slot to set as your recurring slot, and place your order. £40 minimum spend.

You can choose between an anytime delivery pass or their midweek annual pass. Asda Anytime Delivery Pass is just £6.50 per month. Asda Midweek Delivery Pass from is  £3.50 per month. 

Plus, depending on which store you choose,  Asda provides different ways to Click & Collect. You can pick up your groceries the next day or choose one of  their Same Day Collection options.

• Collect the same day, within 4 hours of your order which will charge £3.50 fee. No minimum spend.

• Collect the same day, as soon as 4 hours after your order which will charge £1.50 fee. £25 Minimum basket spend (or £3 charge if less than £25).

• Collect tomorrow or later which will charge 50p  fee. £25 Minimum basket spend (or £3 charge if less than £25).
  

• Waitrose

History

Waitrose is the most high-end supermarkets in UK which has such a reputation that it has a royal warrant which is a big thing in the UK – wherein the retailer can supply the wares to the Queen and the royal family. Waitrose & Partners’ journey began on the high street in 1904, when Wallace Wyndham Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor opened their first shop in Acton.The enterprising trio created a successful business selling what was, at the time, exceptionally varied grocery produce. When grocery retail moved to self-service shopping in the early 1950s, Waitrose was in a strong position. One of its acquired shops, Schofield & Martin, was the first in the business to convert to a self-service store.

In 1955, Waitrose opened its first supermarket in Streatham, south London, with 2,500sq ft of selling space. By the early 1970s, there were 50 branches in total. With several larger supermarkets among them, a distribution centre at Bracknell, Berkshire, was built to meet supply and demand. As at April 2024, Waitrose & Partners has 329 shops across Great Britain and the Channel Islands, including 65 "little Waitrose" convenience shops, and a 5.1% share of the grocery market, making the company the twelfth-largest retailer of groceries in the UK.

Quality

Waitrose's product quality is definitely better than other supermarket brands like ASDA or Tesco and on par with Marks and Spencers. In terms of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats especially fish Waitrose is way ahead in quality. 

Their ready meals are also really nice in comparison to tesco finest products or whatever sainsburys call their more 'quality' products. Don’t write off the own-brand items, which are often the same as, or similarly priced to, products in other supermarkets – but are often higher quality.

Price

Waitrose is the most expensive Grocery store among the four.  It is not cheap and it’s not likely to be in any city or town that isn’t “posh” enough. But you can seek out their Essentials range for more affordable basics.

Waitrose is trying hard to overcome its “pricey” brand image and is launching various campaigns and innovative ideas to leave the image behind and to attract more customers on the basis of price.

Membership

myWaitrose is the loyalty programme that rewards you in many different ways. There are no points to collect. Instead, you immediately earn freebies, exclusive myWaitrose offers, and member-only rewards. Signing up to MyWaitrose is free.

You can save up to 25% off selected lines. They change regularly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them to see if anything appeals to you. For example, offers may include 20% off Brioche Rolls, 20% off Rude Health Almond Milk, 20% off Boursin Garlic and Herb Dip and so on.

Additionally, the myWaitrose card offers 20% off selected meat from the counter on Saturdays and 20% off at the fish counter every Friday. One of the most well known myWaitrose perks is their free coffee. myWaitrose members can get a free coffee with any purchase in store.

Delivery Service

Waitrose offer home delivery  to your door at a time that suits you.  Delivery charges apply. £40 minimum spend.You can also shop online and collect from any store free of charge. £40 minimum spend.

Plus, get Waitrose food delivered in as little as 20 minutes. Just order on the Deliveroo and Uber Eats 's website or app.

Bottom Line

Tesco vs. Sainsbury's vs. Asda vs. Waitrose: Which One is Cheapest for Groceries in British?

As Mentioned, Asda has been the cheapest Grocery store among the four, followed by Tesco, then Sainsbury's, and the most expensive is Waitrose. But Waitrose's product quality is slightly better,  so it is a toss up between having more pennies in your pocket and slightly better quality and exclusive stuff. And the difference in quality is worth it, IMO.

Extrabux is an international cashback shopping site, offering up to 30% cashback from 10,000+ Stores!

Squarespace, SkinStore, MATCHESFASHION, The Wall Street Journal, NordVPN, Visible, Armani Exchange, Sam's Club, PUMA, AliExpress, Card Cash, NET-A-PORTER, Udacity, Udemy, Selfridges, LOOKFANTASTIC, Vimeo, Coach Outlet, lululemon, PrettyLittleThing, Booking.com, Ripley's Aquarium, iHerb, Groupon, etc.

Join to get $20 welcome bonus now! (How does Welcome Bonus work?)