Retail news round-up: Asda declared cheapest supermarket, foreign shoppers boost British high street sales, and Jack Wills launches first sportswear range 

Asda named cheapest supermarket of 2016

Asda was found to be the cheapest supermarket of 2016 among the major UK grocers, the Daily Express reported.

According to Which? research, it was reported that a basket containing 80 popular items at Asda cost approximately £154.14 across the year, followed by Morrisons at £160.19.

Sainsbury's was found to be the next cheapest at £162.11, followed by Tesco (£164.37), Ocado (£170.35) and Waitrose (£172.27).

The cost of popular branded products was monitored using data from independent shopping website MySupermarket to work out the average price.

Which? magazine editor Richard Headland said: "With increasing concern over rising food prices, our research shows that some supermarkets are consistently cheaper than others for popular branded items.

"It could be worth switching supermarkets, or shopping around, if you want to trim your shopping bill."

Foreign shoppers boost British high street sales

Overseas visitors spent approximately £725m on the UK high street during December, taking advantage of the weak pound, The Guardian reported.

According to payment firm Worldpay, there was an increase in the spending on foreign credit cards, up 22% or an extra £130m compared with the previous year.

The biggest spenders were shoppers from Hong Kong, followed by visitors from the United States, United Arab Emirates and mainland China.

Worldpay’s chief marketing officer James Frost said: “Bricks-and-mortar retailers have not had things all their own way this Christmas, with the latest reports suggesting UK consumers are increasingly doing the bulk of their shopping online.

“So the influx of free-spending tourists we saw in December will have been a welcome boost for retailers looking to balance the books.”

Jack Wills unveils first sportswear range

Jack Wills has started its first collection of sportswear that includes leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies, sports bras, joggers, tank tops, T-shirts and a “gymwear” bikini, Drapers reported.

The prices range from £19.95 for the bikini bottoms to £64.95 for the Forton Gym Hoodie.

The clothes are designed in-house in London, using technical fabrics sourced from specialist Portuguese manufacturer P&R Texteis.

The collection of sportswear is available to purchase from the Jack Wills flagship in Covent Garden, London, and online.

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