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THE £800 POSTCODE PENALTY: ALDI REVEALS OVER 200 TOWNS ARE PAYING HUNDREDS MORE FOR GROCERIES
16 January, 2026
Families in over 200 UK towns are paying up to £2,437 more per year on their grocery shopping simply because they lack access to a discount supermarket, new analysis from Aldi reveals today.
The research identifies a significant “discounter gap” across Britain, with communities from Stonehaven in Scotland to Totnes in the South West missing out on the savings that shoppers with access to Aldi enjoy.
The analysis shows that households without access to Aldi – which has been named the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket by consumer champion Which? for the past five years – pay £826 more on average, rising to £2,437 in areas dominated by the highest-priced supermarkets. These figures are based on the average monthly cost difference between Aldi and either the average major UK supermarkets, or the most expensive UK supermarket, using the prices of a typical 68-item shopping basket tracked by Which?*.
The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket has mapped 220 locations across the UK where shoppers are facing a growing ‘postcode penalty’, with many paying significantly more for groceries because they lack access to a discount supermarket. These locations span every region of the country, including 35 towns in the South East, 30 in the East of England and 25 in Scotland.
Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: “No one should pay more for their weekly shop simply because of where they live. We believe every household should have access to high-quality, affordable food.
“With household budgets under intense pressure, local access to a discounter isn’t just convenient – it can save families hundreds of pounds a year. These findings show that expanding access to Aldi is one of the simplest ways to reduce the cost of living for many.”
Aldi has invested £650 million across Britain through its store opening and refurbishment programme in 2025, with each new site creating around 40 jobs.
The discounter also recently announced it would be doubling down on its investment in Britain with a £1.6 billion commitment over the next two years, opening 40 stores each year as it moves towards its ambition to have 1,500 UK stores.
ENDS
*Savings were calculated using the latest findings from the Which? cheapest supermarket survey (December), which found a typical weekly shop of 68 items cost an average of £15.89 more than at Aldi at the average Big Four supermarket, and £46.86 more at the most expensive supermarket, Waitrose. Over 52 weeks, these savings would amount to £826.15 and £2,436.72 respectively.
For more information, please contact the Aldi Press Office on:
T: 0161 235 0300 or aldi@citypress.co.uk
Business news
ALDI BACKS CHARITY CALL FOR SUPERMARKETS TO MAKE FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN STORE TOILETS
13 August, 2026- New Aldi-commissioned research reveals 67% of shoppers think supermarkets should provide free period products in customer toilets
- Three quarters (75%) say free period products should be as readily available in supermarket toilets as toilet paper and soap
- Aldi is backing charity partner Freedom4Girls’ call for other major UK supermarkets to make free period products available in store toilets where facilities allow.
Aldi is supporting its charity partner, Freedom4Girls, in calling for more supermarkets to make free period products available in store toilets, as new research reveals shoppers support supermarkets providing free access to essential period products.
Tina Leslie MBE, founder of Freedom4Girls and Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, have jointly written to the chief executives of major UK supermarkets, calling on them to make free period products available where store facilities allow.
The Aldi-commissioned survey of 2,000 UK shoppers found that 67% believe supermarkets should provide free pads and tampons in customer toilets, while 67% say they would be more likely to view a supermarket positively if it offered the service.
The research also found that three quarters (75%) of shoppers think period products should be treated as an everyday bathroom essential, just like toilet paper and soap, while 66% say supermarkets have an important role to play in supporting people who may struggle to access or afford them.
It comes after Aldi became the first UK supermarket to offer free period products in all customer and colleague toilets, with customers and colleagues able to take what they need, when they need it – no code word or loyalty scheme needed.
Since launching the initiative in March 2025, Aldi has provided one million free period products through its store toilets, helping to make everyday essentials such as tampons and pads more accessible to everyone who needs them.
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: "Access to period products should be a basic right, not a privilege. That is why we made free period products available in our store toilets for customers and colleagues, with no questions asked.
"The latest research shows shoppers support supermarkets making period products more accessible. Together with Freedom4Girls, we’ve written to the chief executives of other major UK supermarkets, encouraging them to consider introducing free period products where facilities allow.
"This is a simple, practical step that could make a real difference to customers and colleagues across the country. These products are essential, and we believe making them freely available is the right thing to do."
Tina Leslie MBE, Founder of Freedom4Girls, a menstrual equity charity dedicated to tackling period poverty, said: "Period poverty remains a huge issue in the UK, and we’re encouraged to see Aldi continuing to use its platform to push for wider change.
"Providing free period products in supermarket toilets is a practical way to help people access what they need discreetly and with dignity. We would welcome more retailers taking similar action to help tackle stigma, affordability and access."
The findings also suggest that free period products in supermarket toilets would help tackle a range of barriers, with 69% of shoppers saying the provision would help people who unexpectedly come on their period while away from home, 58% saying it would help those who cannot afford products when they need them, and 48% saying it would reduce embarrassment around asking for or buying period products.
When asked where free period products should be made available, 56% of shoppers selected supermarket customer toilets, ahead of shopping centres, transport hubs and leisure centres.
62% also said they would expect large supermarkets to provide free period products in customer toilets, while just over half (51%) said they would be more likely to shop with a retailer that made period products freely available in-store.
Among those who have or have ever had a period, 53% said they had been caught short without period products while shopping or away from home, while 93% said they had used toilet roll, tissue or another alternative because they did not have a product available.
Aldi’s in-store provision forms part of its wider commitment to supporting communities and improving access to everyday essentials. The supermarket has also donated one million period products to people experiencing period poverty through partnerships with charities including Freedom4Girls.
Customers can also donate period products through Aldi’s in-store donation points, with items distributed to food banks and charitable organisations via its community partner Neighbourly.
ENDS
*Research carried out in July 2026 by OnePoll among a sample of 2,000 UK shoppers.
