UK – Morrisons and Asda have unleashed aggressive price-matching strategies against discount giants Aldi and Lidl.

These initiatives not only aim to reassure customers but also signal a paradigm shift in how supermarkets approach pricing and customer loyalty.

Morrisons’ price-matching

Morrisons, following in the footsteps of Asda, has launched a comprehensive price-matching scheme, pledging to match or beat prices on over 200 weekly essentials.

This includes everyday staples like bananas, onions, and carrots. The supermarket plans to check these prices against both Aldi and Lidl twice a week to ensure they are consistently as low or cheaper.

Rachel Eyre, Morrisons Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, emphasized the goal of providing customers with quality products at affordable prices.

“We hope this new campaign will bring our quality and value into even sharper focus for our customers,” she said.

Additionally, Morrisons is not only focusing on prices but also on sourcing, committing to using 100% British beef mince, chicken fillets, semi-skimmed milk, and carrots in the price-match products.

This move aligns with the growing trend of consumers preferring locally sourced and sustainable produce.

Morrisons’ bold move follows its earlier strategy at the beginning of the year when it reduced the prices of over 200 popular products, ranging from fresh produce to breakfast items.

The combination of lower prices and the new price-matching scheme positions Morrisons to not only compete but also to cater to customers seeking both affordability and high-quality choices.

Asda escalates the battle

Asda had previously stepped up the price war against Aldi and Lidl, claiming to be the first supermarket to price match both discounters across a broad range of popular everyday products.

Covering 287 comparable grocery items, the initiative spans core household staples like fresh produce, milk, bread, cheese, tea, coffee, fresh meat, baked beans, pasta, rice, and breakfast cereals.

Starting this week, Asda is reducing prices by an average of 17% on these items to match the lowest prices at Aldi and Lidl.

Notable price reductions include 26p off 1kg of carrots, a six-pack of Jazz apples falling 11p to £1.89, and a kilo of loose bananas down 9p at 90p.

The Aldi and Lidl Price Match will run alongside Asda’s existing value propositions, including Price Drop and Asda Rewards.

Furthermore, Asda plans to continue adding products to its M&S Taste Match campaign, promising M&S taste at Asda prices.

This dual strategy, combining price matching with taste matching, underscores Asda’s commitment to offering customers competitive pricing without compromising on quality.

Implications for customers

As Morrisons and Asda embark on this price-matching battle, customers can expect to see more affordable options across a range of products.

The initiatives not only respond to the increasing dominance of Aldi and Lidl but also signify a commitment to providing customers with affordability without sacrificing product quality.

As the supermarkets wage the price war, customers stand to benefit from better deals and more choices in their grocery shopping.

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