Groceries at this national chain are the cheapest, study finds. 11 stores ranked by cost

Many grocery stores claim to be home to the lowest prices in the country but a new study found that items at Aldi are the cheapest indeed. Online cost-saving guide, Bravo Deal, analyzed prices of essential items at a dozen grocery stores and found Aldi was the source of the lowest priced eggs, bread, and more.

“With the cost of living having spiked for many households across the nation in the years following the pandemic, many are looking to save wherever they can,” said CEO and Co-founder at Bravo Deal, Marco Farnararo. “Groceries have gone up by approximately 25% since 2020, according to Bloomberg, so consumers are keen to find the best deals and the best value retailers to do their weekly shop with.”

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The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area has the worst inflation in the country, according to a study conducted earlier this year.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, used the Consumer Price Index change from the most recent month and two months prior, as well as the most recent month and a year earlier, to compare 23 major metropolitan statistical regions.

At the top of WalletHub’s ranking was the Dallas metro area, with a CPI of 5.3% from a year ago and 0.9% from two months prior. The metro area of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach came next, with a CPI of -0.2% from two months ago and 5.7% from a year ago. Third place went to the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro with the same measures at 3.1% and 1.10%.

Part of the Bravo Deal study of grocery stores in which Aldi came out on top were Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Publix, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Albertsons, and Lidl. The study compared prices of milk, eggs, bread, soda, cereal, frozen pizza, chips, laundry detergent, peanut butter, jelly, ham, and chicken breast to determine which offered the lowest-priced weekly essentials.

Here are the list of stores as ranked by the study:

1. Aldi

The German, family-owned multinational discount store offers the cheapest essentials in America, with an average weekly cost of $43.48. The store beat its competitors when it came to items such as bread, with its L’Oven Fresh loaves costing $1.29, and a 12-pack of eggs priced at $1.71. Aldi first came to the United States in 1976. The company opened its first store in Iowa, marking its entry into the American market. Since then, Aldi has expanded significantly across the United States and now has 2,362 stores across 36 states.

2. Lidl

Taking the second spot in the ranking is another German global discount grocery store chain, with the most popular essentials costing approximately $54.24 per week. The company has expanded rapidly since its founding in the 1930s and now operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Lidl had the cheapest frozen pizza, at $3.47, but was unable to beat its German competitor with any other essential.

3. Trader Joe’s

Taking the bronze medal position is Trader Joe’s, with a weekly essentials shop costing $60.58. The brand was founded in 1958 as a small group of convenience stores in Southern California and now boasts a collection of over 450 retail locations nationwide. Trader Joe’s offered a competitively priced loaf of white bread, at $1.99, and its crunchy peanut butter came in at $2.49 per jar.

4. Albertsons

With a weekly essentials shop coming out at $63.18, Albertsons takes fourth place. The company was created in 1939 by Joe Albertson and now has supermarkets and grocery stores across the United States that operate under various banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and Jewel-Osco, among others. Along with Target, Albertsons offers the cheapest gallon of whole milk at $2.99 per bottle.

5. Walmart

Taking fifth place, with an average essentials shop of $64.98, is Walmart. The American multinational retailer offered the second-cheapest 12-pack of large eggs, at $1.72, beaten only by Aldi. Walmart also holds the title of being the largest retail chain, not only in the United States but also globally, boasting a staggering global revenue of $611.30 billion in 2022. The company now has a presence spanning over 10,500 stores worldwide.

6. Target

In sixth place is Target, with an average weekly essentials shop of $65.38. The discount retailer has the lowest-priced jelly, at $2.19 per 18 oz jar. While Target is widely recognized for its department store offerings, the company is also a popular destination for grocery shoppers, and now has a network of 1,948 stores throughout America as of 2021.

7. Kroger

With an average essentials shop of $65.78, Kroger is in seventh place. Kroger was mid-range when it came to essentials, with it being neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. In 2021, Kroger announced sales of $148.3 billion and was also reported to be one of the largest employers in the US, with over half a million employees. Kroger announced a merger with fellow grocery store chain Albertsons in 2022, but the acquisition is currently being blocked by various lawsuits over fears that the merger would lead to fewer stores, higher prices, and less jobs.

8. Publix

The supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida, has the eighth cheapest weekly essentials, with a shop costing $70.19. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix has grown to become one of the largest regional grocery chains in the United States, operating over 1,200 stores across seven states in the Southeastern United States. Publix has the third-cheapest variant of one of the nation’s favorite cereals, Honey Nut Cheerios, at $2.21 per box.

9. Whole Foods Market

This grocery store chain specializes in organic and natural foods, and offers the ninth cheapest shop for weekly essentials at $73.98. In 2017, the company was acquired by Amazon.com, but it continues to operate under its own brand and retains its commitment to providing natural and organic products to its customers. A 6-pack of cola cans costs 99¢ from this supermarket, for consumers looking for cheaper alternatives to Coca-Cola.

10. Sam’s Club

In tenth place is the first membership-only warehouse club on the list. Sam’s Club has the cheapest wholesale weekly essentials shop at $106.47, and the tenth cheapest shop of the major supermarkets. The store offers the cheapest boneless, skinless chicken breasts, at $2.68/lb. In recent years, Sam’s Club has closed some of its locations and plans to convert some stores into online shopping packaging warehouses in an attempt to compete with retail rivals, Amazon.

11. Costco

Concluding the ranking is Costco, with an average weekly essentials shop of $267.94. While the wholesale retail company didn’t offer the cheapest products, it does offer some of the lowest-priced products per unit, such as its 3L olive oil, which came in at $0.18/oz. Like Sam’s Club, Costco operates a membership-only model, where customers pay an annual fee to shop at its stores, which significantly contributes to the company’s revenue. As well as offering good value for money, Costco also provides a ‘treasure hunt’ experience, which encourages impulse buying among customers.