Shoppers turn to non-branded products to save money

More shoppers are turning to non-branded products to lower the cost of their weekly shop.

According to Kantar, own-brand products made up more than half (52.3%) of all supermarket sales in January - a record high.

Spending on supermarkets’ own lines went up by 5.4%, partly thanks to many people buying premium own-label products in the run-up to New Year’s Eve.

Kantar believes that many people are turning to non-branded products to “keep costs down”, as well as taking advantage of offers and promotions.

Shoppers spent £274m more on promotions in January 2025 than they did a year earlier.

They also accounted for more than a quarter of all sales throughout the month.

“With household budgets typically stretched at this time of year, retailers played their part in easing the pressure on purse strings,” said Fraser McKevitt, a retail expert at Kantar.

“Supermarkets were dishing out the discounts this new year and consumers responded."

What is the UK’s cheapest supermarket?

Consumer group Which? compared the prices of 100 products from eight supermarkets in January to find out which one was the cheapest.

Aldi was found to offer the lowest prices, followed by:

• Lidl
• Tesco
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
   

Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, said: “With people still feeling the effects of food inflation, they are likely to cut costs where they can.

“Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets, consumers could save up to 23%, highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible.”

Ms Sewraz added that while Aldi has been “crowned” as the UK’s cheapest supermarket, Lidl “remains hot on its rival’s heels”.

Help is available

If you’re struggling with the price of your weekly shop, then don’t suffer alone.

We’ve published a handy guide on how to access a food bank and where you can find them.

We can also help you with everything from budgeting to making sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to, as well as advise you on debt solutions (some are free, for others there’s a fee).

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