Supermarket price war deepens as the big four cut 2,000 lines in a week
Discounters are still taking share; analysts say the cuts are coming out of suppliers, not profits
Britain's four largest supermarkets cut the price of more than 2,000 products in a single week, the most intense round of a price war that has now run for eighteen months.
The cuts were concentrated in bread, milk, pasta and own-brand ranges, the products shoppers use to compare chains. Analysts said the retailers' margins had barely moved, suggesting the cost was being pushed back onto suppliers.
The discounters, whose share of the market has risen for twelve consecutive years, responded with cuts of their own the next day.
“This is not a war anyone wins,” said one food-industry executive. “It is a war everyone is afraid to stop fighting.”
Sign up to First Edition
Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters.
Privacy notice: newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads and content funded by outside parties.
