Aldi falls from best UK supermarket ranking as surprise brand tops list

Aldi has slipped in the ranks, coming in third in the latest UK supermarket league tables after being named the cheapest supermarket of the year just weeks ago. This fall from grace is attributed to stiff competition from two major rivals.

The results stem from a survey conducted by consumer brand Which?, which asked over 2,600 shoppers to evaluate various in-store supermarkets based on factors beyond just price, including store appearance and staff availability and helpfulness, Mirror reported.

In a surprising turn, luxury retailer Marks & Spencer claimed the top spot with an impressive 79 percent customer score overall. While it received only three stars for "value for money," customers praised the supermarket for the exceptional quality of its own-brand and fresh products, along with a wide range of offerings, short checkout queues, and outstanding customer service.

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Tesco secured a solid second place in the rankings, achieving an overall customer score of 74 percent. However, it fell short of Marks & Spencer in several key categories, including staff availability and helpfulness, store appearance, stock availability, and the effectiveness of its self-service and self-scanning facilities.

Reena Sewraz from Which? Retail commented, “Our survey shows that a good shopping experience and quality products really matter to consumers – and M&S beating its rivals to the top spot shows some shoppers are prepared to pay a bit more for that.” She noted that while Aldi, Lidl, or Iceland may be the go-to choice for those prioritising affordability, shoppers with options might benefit from a strategy of mixing and matching to find the right balance of quality and value.

One enthusiastic M&S customer shared their experience, calling shopping at the retailer a “real treat” and adding, “[They have] great-quality products that I don’t mind spending a bit more on.”

Aldi landed joint third place in the latest supermarket rankings, sharing the spot with Iceland and Waitrose, each earning a customer score of 72 percent. However, the budget retailer struggled in several key areas, receiving only two out of five stars for overall customer service, staff availability and helpfulness, store appearance, queue times, stock availability, self-scanning facilities, product range, and the quality of its own-label and fresh products.

The only category where Aldi excelled was value for money, where it earned a higher score of four stars.

Best in-store supermarket of 2025

1. M&S

2. Tesco

3. Aldi

4. Iceland

5. Waitrose

6. Sainsbury's

7. Lidl

8. Asda

9. Morrisons

In a bid to identify the best online supermarkets, Which? surveyed 1,062 grocery shoppers who are either solely or jointly responsible for their households' grocery shopping between October and November 2024. The results showed that Ocado and Tesco emerged as joint winners, boasting an impressive 79 percent customer score. Following closely behind were Waitrose and Sainsbury's, rounding out the top contenders in the online grocery shopping arena.

Best online supermarkets of 2025

1. Ocado

2. Tesco

3. Waitrose

4. Sainsbury's

5. Iceland

6. Morrisons

7. Amazon Fresh

8. Asda