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Over the past year, certain staple items in our food cupboards have shot up in price, by as much as 80% in the case of extra virgin olive oil. It’s understandable then that consumers want to save a few euros where they can. But in these days of ever-confusing marketing ploys and the dreaded ‘shrinkflation’, which supermarket in Spain really offers the best bang for your buck?

 

What might come as a surprise to many shoppers is that the answer isn’t actually Spain’s long-standing favourite store Mercadona, but the German giant Aldi.

 

A recent study shows that a trolley full of basic products – the likes of fresh produce, eggs, milk, bread, oil, coffee and pasta – as well as personal hygiene and household cleaning products, is a whopping 12% cheaper in Aldi that in other supermarkets around the country.

 

We should point out here that the study was commissioned by Aldi itself, so make of that what you will.

But the claims are eye-opening. According to the German chain, customers who shopped elsewhere in 2024 forked out an average of 97.80 euros on these basic products, while Aldi patrons spent just 86.20 euros, 11.60 less.

 

These figures only include its own-brand products, which make up 86% of products in Aldi stores, while 80% of items are sourced from within Spain.

 

"This helps our customers save, especially on essential items that are part of their daily shopping basket and have the greatest impact on the economy of Spanish families," a company spokesperson stated.

 

He also stressed that thanks to the constant adjustment of processes and costs, Aldi has become one of the leading supermarket chains in price control.

 

In November 2024, Aldi halted price increases by 2.2 percentage points below the rest of the retail sector, according to Kantar Worldpanel data.

 

These figures line up with consumer perceptions, which place the German chain as the second-lowest-priced brand in Spain, according to Kantar Insights.

 

 

Image: Freepik