Tesco launches money-off voucher scheme

Tesco has begun a fight back against flagging sales with the launch of £5 money-off voucher scheme...

It’s not been a great start to the year for Tesco. Just last week the supermarket reported its worst sales performance in the UK for decades after its £500m “Big Price Drop” failed to boost Christmas trade. The group’s chief executive said that the sale had been undermined by rivals’ coupon promotions.

But Tesco has now launched a fight back, unveiling a voucher scheme of its own.

The supermarket is offering shoppers who spend £40 or more in the store this week a £5 voucher to spend on next week’s shop, providing it is also more than £40.

The vouchers cannot be used on infant milk, formula, tobacco products, fuel, prescription medicine, stamps, lottery cafe, E-Top up, opticians Travel Money Insurance or gift card purchases.

Asda

The new promotion is similar to a scheme Asda ran before Christmas when the supermarket offered £5 vouchers to shoppers who spent over £40 and checked their shopping prices using the ‘Asda Price Guarantee’ tool.

Asda has now stopped this voucher offer, but still runs a price guarantee that promises it will always be 10% cheaper than rivals on a comparable grocery shop.

The supermarket hit out against Tesco’s new voucher scheme saying that “While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Tesco’s attempt at imitiation misses the point. Vouchers that promise lower prices instead of delivering them are nothing more than a short-term gimmick.”

Morrisons and Sainsbury’s

Morrisons also has its own January offer. Every day the supermarket will be giving away free shopping to five customers in each of its stores. The cash value of each person’s shop will be refunded with the winners being chosen by a daily draw of five entry codes. These codes are printed on each receipt and you can find out if you have won by checking your number online before 29 February 2012.

Sainsbury’s brand match is similar to Asda’s price guarantee. When you spend £20 or more in the supermarket and buy at least one comparable brand, Sainsbury’s will automatically cross-check the price of all the branded products in your basket with Asda and Tesco. And if the same branded shop could have been bought for cheaper elsewhere, you’ll get a coupon for the difference.

Get the cheapest shop

But you don’t have to wait until you get to the checkout to find out where your shopping basket will turn out cheapest. Mysupermarket.co.uk compares the price of your groceries across Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose/Ocado. The site also points out relevant special offers and calculates how much these will shave off your total basket price.

Have a read of Save money at the supermarket for some more top tips.

Is this just a gimmick?

What do you think of Tesco’s latest offer? Is it a good deal or a gimmick?

Have your say using the comment box below.

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