Major grocery chain beats Walmart, Aldi in price war as shoppers hunt for checkout relief

Shoppers looking to stretch their grocery budgets may want to take a closer look at Kroger.

The Ohio-based grocer had the cheapest store-brand grocery basket in a new price comparison of four major U.S. grocery chains.

A new study from Restaurant Furniture Plus compared the cost of 15 store-brand essentials at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons, including milk, bread, eggs, chicken breast, spaghetti, canned beans and baking items, Southern Living reported.

Kroger ranked No. 1 with a total basket cost of $30.

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The grocer had the lowest prices on 10 of the 15 items analyzed, more than any other retailer in the study, according to the outlet.

Kroger, which operates roughly 1,229 grocery stores across 16 states, also offered the lowest prices on several pantry staples, including canned diced tomatoes, spaghetti and sugar, as well as a dozen large eggs.

Walmart came in second with a basket total of $30.95, followed by Aldi at $33.15 and Albertsons at $35.58, Southern Living reported.

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However, Aldi’s store-brand dairy products stood out as a particularly strong value, the study noted.

The survey did not include Costco, Trader Joe’s, H-E-B or Piggly Wiggly. Trader Joe’s was excluded because it did not carry some items in the comparison, while Costco’s bulk model made single-item price comparisons difficult, Southern Living reported.

The findings come as many Americans continue to feel squeezed at the grocery store.

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Food prices have climbed 32% over the past five years, pushing more than one in four working-age Americans into credit card debt to cover regular grocery bills, according to a new Urban Institute study released Monday.

“Groceries are one of the largest household budget items for families. Over the past five years, food costs have increased substantially,” the report said. “This means that families today face persistently higher prices when they go to the grocery store, and food affordability remains a key concern for many.”

FOX Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.