Best & Cheapest Online Supermarket For Delivery 2024
Looking for the cheapest supermarket delivery? Look no further.
If you’re looking for the cheapest supermarket delivery, you’ve come to the right place. We have the lowdown on all the cheapest online supermarkets and cheapest supermarket delivery services, so you can choose what’s right for you.
These cheapest online supermarkets can really help you save cash on your online food shop. Yes, shopping online comes with a slight premium (thanks, delivery), but we’re here to help you find out the best supermarket to shop online from and the cheapest supermarket delivery.
Almost one in ten young Brits have taken out a loan to ease the burden of the current cost of living crisis, according to our student cost of living survey. Plus, as UK inflation hits a 40-year high, 83% of our survey respondents said the rising cost of food shopping is worrying them.
That’s why we believe it’s super important to get you clued up on all the best cheapest online supermarkets you can get the great deals on. Cheap food delivery is going to be on everyone’s mind, and for good reason.
If supermarket delivery isn’t for you, then you might enjoy our guide on when supermarkets reduce food prices in the cheap aisles.
Besides the cheapest online shopping supermarkets, we’ll list out the cheapest food delivery too, so you know exactly what you’re in for when shopping online for groceries. From Aldi to Ocado online delivery, here are the best supermarket delivery stores in the UK.
Deterred by high delivery costs? Here are the cheapest supermarket delivery options for you.
In this cheapest supermarket delivery guide:
Cheapest supermarket delivery
A grocery delivery service is super convenient when you have a busy schedule or live far from a supermarket. Here are the cheapest online shopping supermarkets in the UK to look out for.
ASDA
- Delivery costs: £1-£8.50 + £3 if you spend less than £40
- Minimum spend: £40
- Delivery pass: Yes
- Cheapest delivery slots: Monday to Thursday afternoons and evenings
- Time slots: one hour
- First order discount: £20 off a £50 spend.
- Rewards and loyalty schemes: ASDA Rewards
ASDA is a go-to as one of the best cheap supermarkets online in the UK and has one of the cheapest online grocery shopping deliveries .
The best online supermarket in the UK also offers a Delivery Pass which can get you free delivery, recurring slots at a time that suits you and priority access to delivery time slots too. An Anytime 12-month Delivery Pass will cost you £6.50, whereas a Midweek 12-month Pass will cost £3.50 per month. The latter is perfect for those who have availability mid-week and want to cut costs.
ASDA also has its own loyalty scheme called ASDA Rewards. It lets you make the most of “star” products, where you can get a cash pot to boost up to 10% of an item’s original price
Sainsbury’s
- Minimum spend: £40
- Delivery cost: £1-£5.50
- Cheapest delivery slots: Tuesdays and Wednesdays afternoons and evenings
- Time slots: one hour but you can save money by opting for a four-hour window instead
- Delivery pass?: Starts at £10 for three months, £18 for six months or £30 per year
- First order discount?: £10 off a £60+ spend.
In terms of delivery, Sainsbury’s is where it’s at. Regular customers can even enjoy their Delivery passes, such as Anytime Delivery Pass (£80 for 12 months) or Midweek Delivery Pass (£40 for 12 months).
Plus, if you want to do your bit for the environment, Sainsbury’s lets you do your bit by choosing a “green” delivery time slot. This allows you to choose a slot when a van is already making a delivery in your area. It is also a destination for the cheapest delivery of groceries on this list.
Lastly, if you have a Nectar card, you can not only collect points for rewards at Sainsbury’s but over 300+ stores too, including Argos, eBay, British Airways and much more.
Get a Sainsbury’s student discount
Aldi
- Delivery: None
- Minimum spend: £20
- Delivery pass?: None
- First order discount?: Unknown.
Aldi is one of the cheapest online supermarkets in the UK. It even beats Lidl…
Does Aldi do home delivery? Aldi did have a deal with Deliveroo, which unfortunately ended at the beginning of 2022. This means you can order your food shop online, but you’ll only be able to collect in-store. This is great for those who want to grab and go. Aldi is still fantastic for cheap online food shopping and shouldn’t go amiss if there’s an Aldi near you.
While they don’t do home delivery, you’ll be pleased to know that Aldi is the cheapest grocery store in the UK (as well as Lidl), so if you live close by to one, it’s definitely worth shopping from Aldi to save cash.
However, Aldi do have a Grocery Click & Collect service where you can order groceries online then collect in store. You’ll have to check availability because not every Aldi store does this. This is a great option if you’d rather not waste time browsing the aisles and collect hassle-free instead.
M&S
- Delivery: None (available on Ocado though)
- Minimum spend: £40 via Ocado
- Delivery costs: 99p-£6.99 depending on slots
- Delivery pass: Smart pass anytime £8.99 per month of £89.99 for the year, Smart pass midweek £3.99 per month or £39.99 per year
M&S don’t offer delivery directly, however, they’ve partnered with Ocado to offer customers the option to get their food and drinks delivered online.
M&S does however offer a free collection on food. To order online, you’ll need to create an M&S account. However, if you want to order food for delivery, you’ll have to make a separate Ocado account.
Get a Marks & Spencer student discount
Tesco
- Delivery costs: £3-£7 +£5 if you spend under £50
- Minimum order: £50
- Delivery pass?: Starts at £7.99 a month on a six-month plan or £4.99 for one month
- Time slots: one hour (save money by opting for a four-hour slot)
If you regularly shop at Tesco and want to save money on your online grocery shopping, Tesco have delivery saver passes that you can sign up to. Below are the delivery passes available.
| 6-month plans | Price | What’s included? |
|---|---|---|
| Off-Peak | £4.99/month | – Home delivery for any available slot after 3pm – Delivery saver guarantee – Collection for any available slot |
| Anytime | £7.99/month | – Includes same-day delivery – Home delivery for any available slot – Early access to Christmas and Easter slots – Delivery saver guarantee – Collection for any available slot |
| Click + Collect | £2.49/month | – Includes same-day collection – Collection for any available slot – Early access to Christmas and Easter collection slots – Delivery saver guarantee |
| 12-month plans | Price | What’s included? |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime | £6.99/month | – Includes same-day delivery – Home delivery for any available slot – Early access to Christmas and Easter slots – Delivery saver guarantee – Collection for any available slot |
| Off-Peak | £3.99/month | – Home delivery for any available slot after 3pm – Delivery saver guarantee – Collection for any available slot |
Co-Op
Delivery from The Co-Operative is free when you spend £25 or more in one transaction and live within the designated area. There’s also a £3 fee for delivery if you spend less than £25. If you live outside this area, the store manager may agree to deliver to you for £5.
Co-Op will deliver it to your door in 2 hours or less. Available in most areas with a postcode checker online.
Get a student discount for The Co-Operative
Iceland
- Delivery costs: Starts at £3, free with spending over £40
- Minimum order: £25
- Time slots: two hours
- Delivery pass?: Iceland’s loyalty card (Iceland Bonus Card) entitles you to free delivery. Free next-day delivery on orders over £40 (no passes, points or cards required)
- First order discount?: £5 off when you spend £45.
Iceland offers free next-day delivery on all orders over £40, no passes or codes are needed. This is great for those big shops that you need right away. While delivery isn’t the cheapest, if you’re spending more than forty quid, then it’s definitely one of the cheapest supermarket delivery options for you.
There is also an option to spend at least £25 in-store and have the items delivered to your home the next day. Keep in mind though that orders under £25 entail a £3 delivery charge. In addition to free delivery with the Iceland Bonus Card, you get an extra £1 on every £20 you save while shopping.
These aren’t the only reasons to consider Iceland for your online food shop, find out how Iceland gives you free food to reduce food waste.
Plus, if you’re a new customer, you can get an Iceland student discount with us!
Morrisons
- Delivery costs: £1.50-£6
- Minimum order: £25
- Time slots: one hour
- Delivery pass: Starts at £5 a month, £25 for six months or £40 per year
Morrisons has one of the cheapest delivery groceries on the market, making it the cheapest supermarket delivery option. If you spend the £40 minimum, you can expect to pay as little as £1.70 for your online food delivery. Of course, this is location-dependent, but it’s always worth checking before hitting checkout elsewhere.
If you do become a regular online shopper at Morrisons, you can enjoy their Delivery Pass, which guarantees free delivery and extra savings. Their Anytime Pass costs £70 annually, and their Midweek Pass is £5 a month.
Did you know you can shop Morrisons food using your Amazon prime account? You’ll get same-day delivery with a two-hour scheduled time slot and is free with Prime membership on orders over £40, and £3.99 for orders under £40! Get your Amazon student discount here.
Lidl
- Delivery: No
- Minimum spend: N/A
- Delivery pass?: N/A
- First order discount?: Their Lidl Plus App is worth checking for promotions (and to have generally for extra savings).
Although one of the cheapest supermarkets in the UK up there with Aldi, Lidl doesn’t actually do delivery or orders for collection.
The Lidl App allows you to locate your nearest Lidl supermarket, search for products they stock and grants you some extra offers and savings when you shop in-store.
Waitrose
- Delivery: from £3
- Minimum order: £40
- Time slots: one hour (some stores trialling cheaper four-hour slots)
- Delivery pass?: None
Waitrose used to offer free delivery, but it’s now £3, which in some cases, can be cheaper than other online supermarkets on this list. It technically makes Waitrose the cheapest supermarket for delivery, as this is the flat rate you pay.
They do, however, offer free collection on orders over £40, so it’s well worth getting your Waitrose online food shop sorted for collection if you’re close to a store. Plus, If you want to cut down on supermarket delivery charges, consider getting a MyWaitrose card which can get you some nice shopping deals.
Get a Waitrose student discount
Ocado
- Delivery: 99p-£6.99 or free with spend of over £75 for certain orders
- Minimum order: £40
- Delivery pass: Yes, via Smart Pass
- How much does an Ocado smart pass cost?
- Anytime 1-month: £8.99
- Anytime 6-month pass: £49.99
- Anytime Annual pass: £89.99
- Midweek 1-month: £3.99
- Anytime 6-month pass: £22.49
- Anytime Annual pass: £39.99.
Ocado home delivery is fantastic for getting food from a variety of stores. They offer 1-hour slots 7 days a week straight to your door via Ocado online delivery.
Plus, the Ocado online supermarket offers a Smart Pass, and its benefits are quite decent. Your Ocado deliveries can enjoy zero delivery charges, save 10% on selected items, exclusive half-price sales and a gift on your Ocado-versary.
Consider Ocado home delivery for your online food shop if you want to enjoy the benefits they offer, plus access to tons of products, and some of the cheapest delivery options around.
How to save money on online grocery shopping
These tricks will save you hundreds on your supermarket shop, but we’ve got a ton of other ideas where that came from too (as do the students of Manchester).
Use supermarket cashback apps
These can be in the form of loyalty cards with your chosen supermarket too. Often, you can get cash back for the points you’ve accumulated. Alternatively, you can see if you can get your food items for less by using our student food discounts.
Choose off-peak delivery
As a student, you’ll have a fair amount of free time. Use it to your advantage by being available for your food shop during off-peak times of the week is key to keeping your online grocery shopping costs low. Plus, this is when your supermarket shop will generally be at its cheapest (or rather, delivery costs will be significantly lower).
Each supermarket will have its own peak/off-peak times, but generally speaking, you should try to get your groceries delivered on weekdays, avoiding evenings and weekends, to get cheap food delivery.
Get a delivery pass for online shopping
A delivery pass at your chosen online supermarket can help save you money in the long run, especially if you order quite regularly.
A supermarket delivery pass will typically charge a monthly, 6-month of annual subscription and it comes with a whole host of benefits. These include:
- Free delivery
- Access to certain offers and discounts.
If you’re intending to get regular food deliveries from the same shop, you should probably look at buying a delivery pass. Lots of major supermarkets offer some kind of delivery pass, including Asda, Iceland (theirs is free!), Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Just make sure you do the maths first, to make sure that the cost of a pass works out cheaper based on how regularly you’ll get a delivery.
Utilise first-order discounts on your shop
Want to get a cheaper deal elsewhere? Some supermarkets will give you a first-order discount. E.g. £20 off a £50 spend when you shop at ASDA.
Look for price matching at other supermarkets
Before confirming your online grocery shopping at the checkout, it’s worth doing a price match to see if you can save extra.
Price matching is dying lately, but there are supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s that have started to price-match Aldi for certain products, so it’s definitely worth looking out for!
Make a meal plan and a shopping list
Having no plan is planning to fail, as the old saying goes. It’s super easy to get distracted with offers and tasty treats when you’re meandering the many food categories. Making a list, even for online grocery shopping, helps you stick to the foods and meal plan you’ve prepped, which will stop you from overspending.
Struggling for inspiration for your online grocery shop? Here are some easy meal recipes to get you started:
Order together to reach minimum order values (great for flatmates!)
Ordering food as a household doesn’t always have to mean cooking the same meals (though this can be super cost-effective too!). But if a supermarket you want to order at has a minimum spend of around £40, having few people chime in and make it cost-effective for everyone. Plus, you can split the cost of delivery too!
Check whether items are sold by weight or quantity
Confused about why you got one banana instead of a whole bunch? Check whether the item is sold by weight or quantity so you don’t get a surprise upon delivery. Plus, some items sold by weight can be much cheaper to buy as opposed to a whole pack you’ll barely use.
Skip the bags with your online food shopping
Bags cost extra when you go shopping, and that doesn’t exclude online shopping either. Besides, you’re likely to use your own bags to pop your items in to carry in, so save yourself the extra pennies. They add up!
Be wary of item exchanges
It’s possible to ask for substitutions if a supermarket doesn’t have what you need. While this can be convenient, you could end up with something quite random.
You could get a spicier version of some chicken nuggets, or worse yet, an item that doesn’t match your dietary needs. When placing a grocery order online, the shop worker is tasked with finding you the closest replacement, however, if you don’t want the substitute, ask them to take it back and refund you.
Complain if your online food shopping order is late or wrong
Is your order late by a few hours, or worse, didn’t turn up altogether? Or perhaps you got the completely wrong items delivered and you’re livid.
In these cases, you can complain to the customer service team of the supermarket and see if they can offer some form of compensation, such as vouchers for your next shop, a full refund or free re-delivery.
Buy discounted food from Approved Food
Best before dates are something you should pay attention to. However, sometimes they’re more of a guide than actual gospel.
This is where Approved Food comes in. They exclusively sell food and other products that are approaching, or have passed, their best before dates. Everything is still safe to eat, but it’s available at up to 70% off the standard price.
So, if you’re after tinned goods, chocolate, sauces, or anything else that doesn’t really go off, check out Approved Food before you hit up the supermarket.
Check out TikTok for food and money-saving hacks
TikTok is like the new Google. It’s a go-to for the latest finds, trends, tips and hacks.
This includes saving money on food too! If you want to find out more, check out these 10 TikTok hacks to cut your supermarket shopping bill.
In a hurry? Use Getir
Forgot an ingredient or two while cooking? Getir is an app that delivers a food shop within 10 minutes.
Which is the cheapest supermarket?
As of August 2023, Which? announced Aldi was the cheapest supermarket overall and even beat their rival Lidl. Using an example of their £76.24 average shop for August, the same shop would have been £102.20 in Waitrose, a whopping £25.96 more than Aldi.
Which supermarkets deliver to my postcode?
When using an online grocery store to order food shops from, you’ll typically have to enter your postcode to see if you’re eligible for delivery. Each online supermarket that delivers food shop is different, though, as you may have access to one supermarket close by, but no access to another. Check each store to see what you can get on delivery before adding to your basket to save you time.
Best reusable shopping bags
Whether you do your shopping online and get it delivered or go to a physical supermarket to get your steps up, reusable shopping bags are a must. They’re cute, super handy, and they care about the planet.
Tomatoes Medium Reusable bag — Kind Bag, £12
Mesh Bags set of 3 — Kind Bag, £11
Get 15% off with Kind Bag Student Discount.
Niki Net Orange Sparkle Fabric Shopper Bag — Oliver Bonas, £9.50
Macrame Tassel Green Shopper Tote Bag — Oliver Bonas, £25
Get 10% off with Oliver Bonas Student Discount.
Wanting to save even more money? We’ve got the Greene King pubs that have student discount available.
Which supermarket will you shop from online? Check out our food and drink student discounts to discover how much you can save ordering online at supermarkets, restaurants and more.
