The headline.

On a basket of branded staples — Brennans bread, Avonmore milk, Barry's tea, Tayto crisps — Aldi and Lidl are usually within a few cents of cheapest, and Tesco's Clubcard prices come within striking distance. Dunnes pulls level with a "spend €50 get €10 off" voucher attached, which is most weeks. SuperValu sits a couple of euros higher on the same branded basket but is competitive in fresh. M&S and the convenience formats (Centra, SPAR) are not trying to win on price.

That's the shape of it. The detail is what matters, and the detail is basket-specific.

Why "cheapest" doesn't have one answer.

The same packet of biscuits costs different amounts at different shops, and those prices move week to week with each chain's promotional cycle. On top of that, every chain runs a big own-brand range:

Tesco — Tesco Everyday Value (cheap end), Tesco Finest (premium end), and the unbadged middle.
Dunnes — Dunnes Simply Better at the top end and a sprawling unbadged Dunnes range across staples.
SuperValu — SuperValu own-brand and SuperValu Signature Tastes.
Aldi & Lidl — almost entirely own-brand, with a thin layer of branded.

Own-brand items can't be priced at a different shop — there's no equivalent SKU to compare against. So a basket heavy on Tesco's own range isn't really comparable like-for-like with a Dunnes shop. The comparable ground is the branded items.

Where each chain wins.

Aldi & Lidl — best on a branded basket

For a basket that's mostly branded staples bought week in week out, Aldi and Lidl are typically the cheapest in the country, and have been for years. The discounters don't run aggressive promotional cycles — the everyday-low-price model means you don't have to time anything.

Tesco — best with Clubcard, especially on promotions

Without Clubcard, Tesco is mid-priced. With Clubcard, a lot of branded items drop 30–40% — often enough to push the whole shop under what Aldi would charge. If you shop Tesco anyway, having Clubcard active is the single biggest no-effort saving.

Dunnes — best with the €10-off voucher

Dunnes' "spend €50, get €10 off your next shop" vouchers print at the bottom of most receipts and almost everyone qualifies on a weekly shop. The voucher is what makes Dunnes price-competitive. Used consistently, the effective discount on every-other-shop is around 20%. If you keep losing them in a drawer, save them in Zavvy instead.

SuperValu — strong on fresh, Real Rewards in the long run

SuperValu's branded staples sit a touch higher than the others. Where it shines is fresh produce, the deli counter, and the Real Rewards programme, which compounds into vouchers if you shop there regularly. If you live in a small town, it's often the only full-service shop.

M&S and the convenience formats

M&S, Centra and SPAR aren't competing for the weekly shop on price — they're competing for the smaller, faster "I'm out of milk" trip. They're more expensive per item; the trade-off is location and speed.

How to find your cheapest shop.

The honest move is to compare your actual basket. Snap the receipt from your usual weekly shop, scan the barcode on each line, and Zavvy will price the same basket at every other shop — including the Clubcard and voucher savings where they apply. The cheapest chain for your real basket might surprise you; it might also flip every six months as promotions move. The compare-at-the-till question is settled before you push the trolley.

Will this article update?

Yes — once a quarter. The relative positions don't usually flip dramatically, but the gaps widen and narrow with the cost of milk, butter, and bread; we'll refresh this with the current year's numbers as Zavvy's data set grows.

Cheapest supermarket in Ireland 2026.