We reveal two big supermarket stories as Sainsbury's adds 100 products to its Aldi Price Match scheme, while Asda is found to be sneakily ending its Rollback promotions early.
Sainsbury’s has relaunched its Aldi Price Match promotion, expanding the range of products included in the scheme to 800 items.
The supermarket says this is its ‘biggest ever’ Aldi Price Match and that it has added more than 100 additional products to the promotion, including picnic items, such as quiche and dips, wines, sausages and bacon, as well as pet food, cupboard fillers and household products.
Products included in the new campaign include hummus, quiche Lorraine, tzatziki, Winemaker’s Selection Prosecco Frizzante, and bathroom items such as sanitary towels and handwash.
Price cuts to cushion bill hikes elsewhere
The supermarket said the promotion was designed to help customers save at the till as other household bills increase.
"With household costs going up, we’re working tirelessly to keep prices low for customers when doing their big shop at Sainsbury’s,” said Richard Crampton, commercial director of fresh and convenience at Sainsbury’s.
“With the biggest ever Aldi Price Match, we’re introducing hot weather favourites such as dips, ice cubes and fizz as well as family staples such as shower gel, cotton wool and period care, ensuring shoppers’ budgets can go even further this summer.”
Asda rolls back on Rollback
Meanwhile, research by The Grocer has found that Asda has been quietly ending some of its rollback promotions early.
The retail industry news site reports that the supermarket has been keeping items at Rollback prices for shorter periods than its communications suggested, and then hiking the prices back either to the previous level or even higher.
The campaign previously stated that the items would be sold at permanently lower prices.
Executive chairman Allan Leighton reintroduced the Rollback scheme in January and the supermarket said that it planned to cut back on three to four-week price promotions in favour of ones lasting 12 weeks.
However, according to The Grocer, of the 4,000 products included in the January Rollback promotion, only 75 (less than 2%) remained on a Rollback price by 2 April.
The magazine said that 63% of the products (2,540) had been removed from the scheme within four weeks or less, with the remainder removed after 10 weeks.
Asda: 'Committed to price cuts'
However, Asda said it is committed to cutting prices over the long term and that it aims to have all products at the lower Asda Price by the end of the year.
“Since the relaunch of Rollback we have been very clear that this is a long-term commitment to bring prices down and that we’re not looking for a ‘quick fix’,” an Asda spokesperson told The Grocer.
“Whilst we have a long way to go, we have started as we mean to go on by reducing the prices of over 10,000 products in the first few months, and products are staying lower for longer on Rollback compared to our previous activity.
“This shift in strategy is already showing up for our customers, with Asda consistently recognised as the best value supermarket in Which? and The Grocer price comparison surveys.”