Bread has become the latest battleground for the supermarkets as they cut the price of several own-label loaves.
Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, as well as discounters Aldi and Lidl, have reduced the price of many 800g loaves to 75p.
The discounts of up to 21% were due to retailers passing on savings from a drop in the commodity price of wheat, according to company statements.
Here we take a closer look at the price reductions and the reasons behind them:
Aldi
Aldi dropped the prices of three of its Village Bakery 800g sliced loaves (Toastie Thick, Medium and Wholemeal variants) from 79p to 75p.
Asda
The biggest price reduction in own-label bread was revealed by Asda, which has slashed 21% off its Medium-sliced and Toastie 800g loaves. Both the white and wholemeal varieties will be priced at 75p from 12 May. Prior to this they were priced at 95p.
Lidl
Like fellow discounter Aldi, Lidl also reduced the price of its own-label loaves down to 75p from 79p. This applies to selected Rowan Hill Bakery bread (800g) including Soft Medium Sliced White, Thick White Toastie, Both in One Medium Sliced and Soft Thick Wholemeal loaves. The retailer was also keen to highlight that it had loaves of bread priced at 39p available: the Simply Medium Sliced Loaf in white and wholemeal varieties.
Morrisons
When contacted by British Baker, Morrisons said it would share if it made any changes to the pricing of its loaves. At present, its own-label Medium White 800g loaf is listed on its website at 89p, alongside Morrisons Wholemeal Medium Bread and Toastie loaves.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s was the first to announce a price reduction of its 800g own-label loaves on 9 May. Prices of its Soft White Medium, Wholemeal Medium, Wholemeal Thick, and Toastie White loaves were lowered by 11% from 85p to 75p.
“We know that our customers are always looking for help with the cost of living which is why we are constantly considering ways to keep prices low,” said Rhian Bartlett, Sainsbury’s food commercial director.
“We have been battling hard to beat inflation and whenever we are paying less for the products we buy from our suppliers, we will pass those savings on to customers. As we see the commodity prices starting to fall for wheat and butter, we’re able to lower our prices on two of the products people buy most often, bread and butter.”
Tesco
Tesco matched the Sainsbury’s 11% discount, dropping the price of four of its own-label 800g loaves from 85p to 75p. This included its Thick-Sliced Toastie White and Toastie Wholemeal as well as White and Wholemeal Medium loaves.
The retailer said it will continue to work closely with its suppliers to manage any further volatility and ensure customers can benefit from the best possible value.
“As families continue to watch their weekly spend and budget carefully, we’re pleased to be able to pass on price reductions where we can, and to help with everyday essentials like bread and butter,” said Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s group chief product officer.
“Whether you’re buying a branded favourite covered by our price lock, stocking the cupboards with essentials from Aldi Price Match, or treating yourself to an exclusive deal with Clubcard Prices – you can be confident of finding great value at Tesco.”
Prices may vary in its Express stores, the company noted.
This story will be updated as more price details become available.
No comments yet