Morrisons Unbeatable Prices: Does the 500+ Item Promise Really Make Your Shop Cheaper?

Morrisons has replaced its old Aldi and Lidl Price Match with a much broader promise covering more than 500 selected products. Under Morrisons Unbeatable Prices, qualifying items will be the same price as or cheaper than comparable products at Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda.

That sounds like a very broad promise, and Morrisons' own announcement goes as far as suggesting shoppers can complete their weekly shop with confidence. The small print is narrower: Morrisons Unbeatable Prices applies only to selected products, while rival loyalty prices, promotions, multibuys and in-store-only promotions don't count when Morrisons works out whether it needs to match a price.

A Clubcard, Nectar or temporary promotional deal elsewhere can therefore still beat an Unbeatable Price without Morrisons breaking its guarantee.

There is another interesting change beneath the headline. Morrisons isn't simply adding three supermarkets to its old Price Match, it is moving away from a scheme built around matching Aldi and Lidl and putting all five major rivals into the same comparison. That changes both what shoppers can compare and the way Morrisons presents itself on price.

What has changed with Morrisons Unbeatable Prices?

Morrisons Unbeatable Prices replaces the supermarket's previous scheme that compared more than 200 selected products specifically with Aldi and Lidl. The new version more than doubles the headline number of qualifying lines to over 500 and adds Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda to the comparison.

The previous scheme was launched two years ago and worked on a similar basic principle, with Morrisons checking Aldi and Lidl prices twice weekly and adjusting qualifying Morrisons lines where necessary. Morrisons is still comparing against both discounters, so they haven't disappeared from the calculation. What has disappeared is the idea that Aldi and Lidl alone are the supermarkets Morrisons wants its price message measured against.

For shoppers, that makes the new scheme more useful as a standard-price comparison because a qualifying product is being checked against five rivals rather than two. It still doesn't compare every possible price you could pay once loyalty cards and promotions enter the equation, which is why the detail matters as much as the 500+ figure.

Why has Morrisons moved away from an Aldi and Lidl Price Match?

Morrisons hasn't publicly said that it changed the scheme because naming Aldi and Lidl gave the discounters too much prominence. Industry analysis from The Grocer argues that this is one advantage of the new approach, because Morrisons can continue matching the discounters without presenting Aldi as the single price benchmark on its shelves. That is an interpretation of the strategy rather than Morrisons' stated reason for the change.

There is some wider context behind that argument. Tesco still operates an Aldi Price Match on hundreds of products, while Sainsbury's currently advertises more than 500 Aldi-matched products; Asda went in the other direction and ended its Aldi and Lidl Price Match before returning to broader Rollback price cuts.

Morrisons' new branding gives it a different message. It can still compare against Aldi and Lidl, but shoppers now see one Unbeatable Prices label covering discounters and full-range supermarkets together rather than a shelf ticket explicitly telling them that an item has been priced against Aldi.

How does Morrisons Unbeatable Prices actually work?

Morrisons Unbeatable Prices is a supermarket price match rather than a guarantee that every Morrisons product is the cheapest available. Morrisons checks selected products against comparable items at the five named competitors and sets the qualifying Morrisons price at the same level or lower.

Own-brand comparisons don't always involve identical products.

Morrisons says its own-brand products can be compared with products serving a comparable eating or usage occasion, while branded products are compared with the identical branded item. Different pack sizes can also be compared on a pro-rata basis where necessary.

That last point is worth remembering when looking at value for money. A 500g Morrisons product could qualify through a pro-rata comparison with a differently sized competitor pack, but that doesn't stop another pack size or alternative brand from offering a lower unit price. Checking the price per kg, litre or item can still uncover a cheaper way to buy what you need.

What products are included?

Morrisons says more than 500 weekly essentials are included, with products marked using Unbeatable Prices signage in stores and online. Examples given at launch included bananas, salad tomatoes, carrots, bread, butter, chicken fillets, bacon and pizzas, alongside household essentials.

The range isn't fixed permanently. Morrisons' current terms say the number of products can vary between stores and online, while the products being matched can change each week and remain subject to availability. That means an item carrying an Unbeatable Price today shouldn't be assumed to remain part of the scheme indefinitely.

Look for the current logo or check Morrisons' online Unbeatables list rather than relying on an old list of products. The supermarket also reserves the right to change or remove products and to amend or withdraw the offer itself.

Why does Market Street make this scheme a little different?

Morrisons has included selected products from its Market Street counters, rather than limiting Morrisons Unbeatable Prices to packaged grocery basics. Its launch examples included cod prepared at the fish counter, extra mature cheese from the deli and doughnuts made in store.

That gives Morrisons a different angle from a price-match range made up mainly of standard own-brand packaged products. The Grocer also highlighted Market Street as part of the strategy, arguing that Morrisons is trying to compete on the type and perceived quality of the products as well as their price.

For the shopper, the useful part is simpler. If you already use the fish, deli or bakery counters, some fresh products can now sit within the same price promise as bread, butter and other weekly essentials, but you still need to check the Unbeatable Prices branding to know whether a particular item qualifies.

Does Morrisons Unbeatable Prices mean your whole shop is cheapest?

No. Morrisons Unbeatable Prices doesn't guarantee that the total cost of your normal shopping list will be lower than at every rival supermarket, because only selected products are covered and several types of competitor discount are excluded.

Morrisons' launch announcement says the range can give shoppers confidence over an entire weekly shop, but that should be read in the context of the scheme's terms. A trolley containing products outside the Unbeatables range, or products carrying cheaper loyalty and promotional prices elsewhere, can produce a very different total from a trolley made up mainly of qualifying items.

The latest independent comparison from Which?, carried out before Morrisons launched this new scheme, illustrates why the whole basket still matters. Its July comparison of 93 groceries put Aldi at £158.05 and Morrisons at £195.63, although those figures cannot tell us how much the new Unbeatable Prices range will change future results because the scheme wasn't running when the prices were collected.

Are Clubcard Prices, Nectar Prices and promotions included?

No. Morrisons excludes loyalty-card prices, promotions, multibuy offers and in-store-only promotions from the competitor prices used for Morrisons Unbeatable Prices.

This is probably the most important limitation to understand before assuming a shelf label means you couldn't pay less elsewhere. A temporary Tesco Clubcard Price or Sainsbury's Nectar Price could fall below the Morrisons price, and Morrisons wouldn't have to match it under the published rules because that isn't the type of competitor price being compared.

The same applies to a multibuy or promotional reduction. If you use loyalty schemes anyway, keep checking the price you will actually pay at the till rather than comparing only the supermarkets' standard shelf prices.

How often does Morrisons check the five supermarkets?

Morrisons says it checks selected competitor prices twice a week, but the way those checks are carried out differs between the discounters and the larger supermarkets. Aldi and Lidl are checked in-store and/or online twice weekly, while Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda are checked online twice weekly and in stores once a month.

Morrisons uses the price most often found rather than promising to match every temporary or store-specific variation. Pack-size differences can be dealt with through pro-rata calculations, which allows Morrisons to compare products even where an equivalent item isn't sold in precisely the same quantity.

This also means Unbeatable Prices isn't a real-time promise that changes the moment a rival shop alters one shelf label. The comparison is based on Morrisons' checking process and the rules it has published for the scheme.

What Morrisons compares	How the scheme treats it
Morrisons own-brand product	Comparable eating or usage occasion
Branded product	Identical branded product
Different pack sizes	Pro-rata comparison where needed
Aldi and Lidl	Checked in-store and/or online twice weekly
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda	Online twice weekly, in-store monthly
Promotions	Excluded
Multibuys	Excluded
Loyalty prices	Excluded
In-store-only promotions	Excluded

Do you need a Morrisons More Card?

Morrisons' published Unbeatables terms don't state that you need a Morrisons More Card to pay the Unbeatable Price. The scheme is therefore separate from More Card Prices and personalised loyalty offers.

If you already have a More Card, it can still be worth scanning it for any points or separate offers that apply to your shop. Morrisons runs points, personalised offers and member prices through the More programme, but those should be treated separately from the rules deciding whether an Unbeatable Price matches a competitor.

There is an interesting asymmetry here. Your Morrisons loyalty benefits can affect what you eventually receive from your own shop, while a Tesco Clubcard or Sainsbury's Nectar price isn't taken into account when Morrisons calculates its competitor guarantee.

Where can you buy Morrisons Unbeatable Prices?

The scheme is available in Morrisons supermarkets, through Morrisons' own online grocery service and with Click & Collect. It isn't available in Morrisons Daily stores or through third-party channels such as Morrisons on Amazon and Deliveroo.

That matters if you normally order Morrisons groceries through another platform. A product might carry an Unbeatable Price when bought directly from Morrisons but have a different price, delivery charge or service fee when bought through a third party.

Availability also varies between stores and online. Check the channel you intend to use rather than assuming a price seen in a Morrisons supermarket will necessarily appear elsewhere.

Does the guarantee apply across the whole UK?

The competitor comparison covers England, Scotland and Wales but not Northern Ireland. Morrisons also handles alcohol differently because Scotland and Wales have minimum unit pricing rules.

For alcohol, competitor prices are compared in England. Morrisons says its Scottish and Welsh price will then either be the same as its England price or the minimum price required by the relevant minimum unit pricing rules.

If you are shopping in Northern Ireland, the five-supermarket comparison isn't part of the published Unbeatables scheme. That doesn't tell you whether an individual Morrisons price is good or bad, only that this particular guarantee isn't being used there.

Can you claim money back if you find a cheaper price?

Morrisons' published Unbeatables terms don't describe a shopper claim, voucher or refund process if you personally find a lower price. The scheme works by Morrisons checking prices and setting the qualifying shelf price rather than reimbursing customers after they shop.

If you spot a price that looks lower at one of the five competitors, check whether it is genuinely comparable under the rules before assuming something has gone wrong. The rival price may be a loyalty offer or promotion, or the pack size may need a pro-rata calculation.

You could still raise an apparent discrepancy with Morrisons, but the current published terms don't promise that doing so will result in a cash refund. That is different from older supermarket price guarantees that asked shoppers to submit a receipt and claim the difference afterwards.

Can you still reduce the price further?

Potentially. Morrisons Unbeatable Prices determines the advertised price of the qualifying item, but separate ways of reducing the effective cost of your shop can still be worth checking where their own terms allow.

For example, a cashback gift-card service such as JamDoughnut may periodically offer Morrisons gift cards with cashback. Rates and retailer availability can change, so check the app immediately before buying rather than relying on a percentage quoted in an older article. My JamDoughnut cashback review explains how the gift-card approach works.

Don't buy a gift card purely because cashback is available if it will make returns or budgeting harder for you. The useful calculation is what you were already going to spend, minus any genuine cashback you can earn without changing that purchase.

Is the Aldi Price Match era starting to change?

It may be, although Aldi Price Match is far from disappearing altogether. Tesco and Sainsbury's still run substantial Aldi Price Match schemes, while Morrisons has replaced its Aldi/Lidl-focused version with Unbeatable Prices and Asda previously moved away from its own Aldi/Lidl match towards broader price reductions.

The Grocer's analysis raises a useful question about what these schemes say to shoppers. A supermarket that repeatedly tells customers it matches Aldi is also reinforcing Aldi as the price it believes needs matching, while Morrisons can now say it checks Aldi without making the discounter's name the centre of its own price campaign.

That doesn't change the maths at the checkout, but it helps explain why Morrisons Unbeatable Prices is more than a larger version of the old scheme. It is also a change in how Morrisons wants shoppers to judge its prices against the wider supermarket market.

Is Morrisons Unbeatable Prices actually useful?

Morrisons Unbeatable Prices gives shoppers a stronger standard-price comparison than the old Morrisons Price Match because it covers more products and checks five supermarkets instead of two. The inclusion of selected Market Street products also means the scheme reaches into parts of Morrisons that aren't limited to basic packaged groceries.

Its value has boundaries. Loyalty prices and promotions can still beat the Morrisons price, products outside the qualifying range aren't protected by the promise, and independent whole-basket comparisons can produce a different cheapest supermarket entirely.

I would use the Unbeatable Price label as one useful piece of information rather than as a reason to stop comparing altogether. Check expensive items, look at unit prices, keep using loyalty offers where they save you money and judge the scheme against the products you actually buy over several shops, because that is what will show whether it reduces your own grocery bill.

Frequently asked questions

What is Morrisons Unbeatable Prices?

Morrisons Unbeatable Prices is a price guarantee covering more than 500 selected products. Morrisons says qualifying products will be the same price as or cheaper than comparable products at Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda.

Does Morrisons still price match Aldi and Lidl?

Yes, but Aldi and Lidl are now two of five supermarkets included in Morrisons Unbeatable Prices. The new scheme replaces the previous Morrisons Price Match that focused specifically on Aldi and Lidl.

Do Clubcard Prices and Nectar Prices count in Morrisons Unbeatable Prices?

No. Morrisons excludes loyalty prices, promotions, multibuys and in-store-only promotions when it compares competitor prices, so a rival loyalty or promotional price can still be cheaper.

Does Morrisons Unbeatable Prices mean Morrisons is the cheapest supermarket?

No. The guarantee applies to selected products under Morrisons' comparison rules rather than everything in your trolley, so your overall shop could still cost less elsewhere.

Do I need a More Card for Morrisons Unbeatable Prices?

Morrisons' published Unbeatables terms do not state that a More Card is required. More Card offers and points remain separate ways of reducing or rewarding spending where their own terms apply.

Can I claim money back if I find an Unbeatable Price cheaper?

Morrisons' published terms do not set out a customer refund or price-difference claim process. The scheme works by Morrisons checking competitor prices and setting its qualifying prices rather than refunding shoppers afterwards.

Where are Morrisons Unbeatable Prices available?

Morrisons Unbeatable Prices are available in Morrisons supermarkets, online and through Click & Collect. They are not available in Morrisons Daily stores, Morrisons on Amazon, Deliveroo or other third-party services.

How often does Morrisons check competitor prices?

Morrisons says selected competitor prices are checked twice a week. Aldi and Lidl are checked in-store and/or online, while Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda are checked online twice weekly and in-store once a month.