Aldi price match campaigns at supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and Tesco are under pressure as inflation pushes up the price of fresh produce.
At Big 4 grocer Sainsbury’s, 22 of its 45 fruit and vegetable items within its Aldi price match campaign have risen in price since 1 September to 18 October, while only two have dropped.
For leading retailer Tesco, 50% of its 76 fresh produce items featured within its price match campaign have gone up in price, with three declining.
This comes as the fresh food produce category saw its highest inflation rate on record, hitting 12.1% last month according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) – NielsenIQ index.
“We are working closely with suppliers and farmers to help them navigate inflationary pressures and to ensure we can maintain strong availability, providing financial support and working capital where really needed,” a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman told The Grocer.
A Tesco spokesman added: “Whether it’s price matching Aldi on the basics, freezing the price of more than a thousand household staples until 2023, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
This news comes following a survey from non-profit alliance Veg Power earlier this month, which found that vegetable consumption has fallen by 7.5% across the UK in the past year as consumers struggle to afford them amid rising prices and the cost-of-living crisis.
It also found that vegetable sales have decreased to only 6.2% of retail basket value compared to 6.7% last year.
