These are the cheapest supermarkets for buying big name brands

Finding ways to shave some money off of your weekly shop can help your money go much further over the course of the year. However, you also don't want to miss out on your favourite brands when it comes to certain items – your morning cuppa just isn't quite the same if the brand isn't right. To help, consumer advice magazine Which? has provided a comparison of the prices in the UK's biggest supermarket chains, making sure you can get the best value for money. How does the comparison work? Each year, Which? takes the prices of between 60 and 100 popular name brand products and compares the overall price of buying them in different stores. The prices used are taken from the store's online service. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services explained that “your weekly supermarket shop can have a significant impact on your wallet, and the start of a new year is a good time to look at your household spending to see if there are areas where you can save money. “Our analysis shows how important it can be to shop around to ensure you get the best price for your groceries.” Of course, supermarket prices have been known to fluctuate over the course of the year, with various special offers coming into play, so Which? work out the average price for each product (multi-buy deals are not included in the calculation). To keep things fair, the study only uses products which are available in all stores throughout the year. This does mean that discount stores like Aldi and Lidl – which are able to offer greatly reduced prices but which mostly stay away from major brands – are not included in the comparison. Some have argued that this undermines the comparison by leaving out the two cheapest options. What did last year's comparison find? After working out the average prices for 2019, Which? found that Sainsbury's is now the cheapest supermarket in the UK, with the 53 selected items coming in at a total of £107.01Here's how their main rivals stacked up: Asda - £107.65Morrisons - £109.13Tesco - £112.40Ocado - £116.40Waitrose - £117.81 This marked a drop-off for Morrisons, which was the cheapest option in 2018 but has now slipped down to third place. With a £10 gap between the cheapest and most expensive options, it’s easy to see how your choice of supermarket could have a noticeable impact on your finances from month to month. How else are supermarkets ranked? Of course, price isn't necessarily everything when it comes to picking your supermarket. On top of their price comparison, Which? also provides an in-depth breakdown of each major supermarket based on factors like product selection, customer service, queuing time and store appearance. Although Waitrose routinely find themselves ranked as the most expensive (and the lowest score in the “value for money” category) they also score highest in almost every other section, boasting minimal queue times, easily available staff and an impeccably presented store.