Revealed: France’s Most Overpriced Supermarket, According to Que Choisir!

As inflation continues to heavily impact household budgets across the United States, many of us are on the lookout for any tip that can shave dollars off our grocery bills. While social media is full of purported money-saving hacks, from coupon clipping to using food waste prevention apps, the most effective strategy turns out to be quite straightforward: simply avoid the priciest supermarkets.

In both store aisles and TV advertisements, every brand claims to offer the lowest prices. However, in reality, there is a clear winner… and a distinct loser. According to the consumer association Que Choisir Ensemble, which ranks supermarkets monthly, E.Leclerc consistently comes out on top as the most budget-friendly retailer. But who ranks at the bottom?

It turns out that Auchan is consistently at the bottom of this national ranking. The difference is stark: prices at the stores of the brand with the little bird logo are, on average, 14.1% higher than at E.Leclerc! In practical terms, for a typical shopping cart worth $150 at the top-ranked store, you would end up spending just over $171 at Auchan, which translates to a direct loss of about $21 every time you check out. It’s worth noting that Auchan shoppers might find slightly better deals using the store’s online shopping service, where prices are less steep (with the difference narrowed down to 7.9%), although they remain unfortunately higher than those of competitors.

This price disparity has proved costly for Auchan: the group has been forced to sell several of its stores, which are set to be rebranded under the Intermarché banner. This is great news for local residents, as Intermarché is among the less expensive options nationwide. However, it’s important to highlight a nuance pointed out by Que Choisir Ensemble in its ranking: Intermarché’s large “hypermarkets” are extremely competitive (only 3.2% pricier than E.Leclerc), while their smaller “supermarkets” have slightly higher prices (+5.3%). The rest of the rankings confirm the strong performance of independent stores with Hyper U (+3.4%) and Super U (+5.8%), whereas Carrefour is high in this ranking, just before Auchan.

Lastly, for those who want to manage their spending down to the penny, keep in mind that this survey focuses on retailers offering a drive-up service. Discount giants like Lidl are therefore not included, though they remain excellent options for safeguarding your purchasing power. In fact, in 2025, Que Choisir Ensemble named the German retailer as the least expensive in France, with an average basket price 2.5% lower than E.Leclerc, and 4.5% lower than Aldi. Meanwhile, Auchan was already the last on the list with prices 11% higher.