Aldi? It isn’t half as cheap as in Europe: British shoppers at bargain supermarket pay nearly twice as much as Germans and Spanish
- Basket of goods in London cost £44 while same items cost £23 in Marbella
- Same basket of common groceries also cost £23 in Berlin and £26 in Paris
- Six bottles of 330ml beer in England cost £3.99 but just £1.19 in Spain
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It has become the first port of call for cash-strapped families trying to keep down their grocery bills.
But shoppers at Aldi in Britain are paying prices almost double those at the discount chain’s European outlets.
The retailer has won an increasing share of the UK market with its money-saving offer, but The Mail on Sunday has discovered items including fruit, meat and alcohol cost even less at Aldi abroad.
A comparison using a basket of common groceries found that the chain offers far better value in Germany, Spain and France than in Britain.
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A comparison of common groceries found that Aldi offers far better value in Germany, Spain and France than in Britain, with a basket in London costing £44 but just £23 in Marbella, Spain, and £26 in Paris, France
The basket, which included grapes, milk, chicken and wine, came to £44.92 at a store in north-west London.
In the Spanish resort of Marbella, the items were valued at £23.13, while in Berlin the goods cost £23.38. At a store in Paris, the bill for the basket was £26.64.
The difference in price is all the more surprising because there is no VAT on most foods in Britain, unlike other European countries. However, the UK does pay hefty duty on alcohol compared with our Continental neighbours. The figures also fly in the face of sterling’s current strong position against the Euro.
This means that you should actually get more for your pound buying goods from abroad.
Aldi markets itself as a bargain place to buy alcohol but our investigation found European stores offer shoppers much better deals on wine, beer and spirits.
Six bottles of 330ml beer in England cost £3.99 but Spanish shoppers pay just £1.19.
And six larger 500ml bottles cost £1.45 in France and £1.34 in Germany. British shoppers pay £4.99 for a bottle of Bordeaux Superieur red wine, while in Germany a bottle of Bordeaux Chateau Tour St. George costs only £1.97.
British shoppers pay £4.99 for some brands of red wine, while in Germany the same bottles cost just £1.97
In Spain, only one non-national red wine was available – a Rubinello Chianti at £3.15.
Meat was also cheaper abroad – a 1.65kg chicken came in at £3.99 in Britain, equivalent to £2.42 per kilo. In Germany a 1.4kg bird is £2.60, or £1.86 per kilo. France charges £1.95 per kilo and it is £1.71 per kilo in Spain.
Two pints of semi-skimmed milk in Britain will set you back 79p, which is 39.5p per pint. In Germany two and a half pints cost 51p, or 20.4p per pint. And 2.5 pints cost 55p in France, equal to 22p a pint. In Spain, 1.75 pints is priced at 62p, or 35.4p per pint.
Tony Baines, joint managing director of corporate buying at Aldi, said: ‘The difference in grocery prices is not specific to Aldi. We offer our customers the best quality product at the most competitive price.
‘Shoppers know we offer the best value in the UK and won’t be beaten on price.
‘Aldi shoppers can save 30 per cent to 50 per cent on their weekly shop when compared to prices at other UK supermarkets.’
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