UK supermarkets have been found not to have misled consumers over loyalty prices by the Competition Markets Authority (CMA).

The regulatory body said it had scrutinised “tens of thousands”  of supermarket prices but had discovered very little evidence to support the claim loyalty promotions were unfair to shoppers.

It maintained its ongoing analysis and said that would look further into the claim around  ‘was/now’ promotions, while also comparing a sample of supermarkets’ loyalty prices to those prices charged by other supermarkets simultaneously.

It has also commissioned a consumer survey to understand the impact of loyalty pricing on how consumers shop, which will explore issues such as shoppers’ concerns about supermarkets’ use of personal data, set to be published in November.

However, the UK watchdog concluded that current “results to date suggest we are unlikely to identify widespread evidence of loyalty promotions that mislead shoppers in this way”.

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The CMA’s initial findings have been met with mixed responses by the industry, with some arguing that the investigation has been a waste of time, however the British Retail Consortium said it “welcomed” the decision.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “We welcome the CMA’s update that they have not found widespread evidence of misleading loyalty promotions.

“Whether it’s everyday value, or loyalty schemes discounts, retailers know they have to demonstrate clear value to attract and retain customers.”

The CMA probe was first launched in January, and prompted by an increase in supermarkets introducing cheaper prices only for loyalty card members.

It is one in a series of studies into competition during the cost-of-living crisis. Today (26 July) the CMA also found that while grocery prices remain high, inflation has not be caused by weak competition between supermarkets.

The UK watchdog’s inquiry into infant formula pricing is still ongoing, with the findings expected to be released in November.