Asda's Just Essentials range has been in the news for the wrong reasons recently. First there was fury from shoppers over the supermarket's bright yellow design of their budget range, over claims it gave "poverty markers" to customers, and, now, a weekly comparison shop has highlighted price hikes in the newly launched range.
The supermarket giant's rebranded budget range, which was previously known as Smart Price, includes a range of products from fruit, veg and salad, fresh and chilled and frozen items to store cupboard essentials. During its launch period, Asda said: "Just Essentials by Asda comprises of 293 products, 50% more than the Smart Price range it is replacing, but will continue to offer customers the same great value they know and love."
However, Manchester Evening News (M.E.N.) conducts a weekly shopping comparison of basics like milk and bread, and found some prices were up this week on the Just Essentials range. The publication has been monitoring the cost of eight products at supermarkets since March. It said that the shop reported for Sunday, August 21, showed price increases on Just Essentials teabags (up from 25p for a pack of 40 to 28p) and coffee (up from 75p for 100g to 83p).
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The move didn't go down well with shoppers. It said that one shopper told the paper: "I know some people haven't been that keen on the new packaging, but I love the new range. I don't think it's fair for them to be putting the prices up already."
The rises have put Asda in fourth place in this week's comparison, with Tesco taking the cheapest spot from Lidl after the latter put the price of its 500g pack of mince back up to £1.89. Most had reduced the packs to £1.69 to match the price of Asda's mince, which is also part of the Just Essentials range.
The full shopping list is made up of an 800g loaf of bread, two pints of milk, 200g of coffee, 160 teabags, a 250g block of butter, tin of beans, 300g of chicken and 500g of mince. The results of this week's shop show that while Tesco is currently the cheapest at £10.12, Lidl isn't far behind at £10.17, followed by Aldi at £10.30 and Asda at £10.44 - up from £10.16 last week. Sainsbury's and Morrisons are the most expensive at £11.04 and £12.06 respectively.
The only slight difference in sizes is with the baked beans, which range from 400g in Sainsbury's and 410g in Asda and Morrisons, to the standard 420g in Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. Where Asda's pack of chicken is larger, we've worked out the equivalent price for a fairer comparison.
The M.E.N has approached Asda for a comment.
Here's the shopping list and total for each supermarket (as of Friday, August 19)
Tesco
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) - £1.30
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.25
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.12
Lidl
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - 99p
Salted butter 250g - £1.72
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.15
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89 (up from £1.69)
Total £10.17 (up from £9.97)
Aldi
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.29
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.15
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.30
Asda
Loaf of white bread 800g (Just Essentials) - 39p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g Just Essentials) - £1.66 (up from £1.50)
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack Just Essentials) - £1.24 (up from £1.12)
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 410g tin (Just Essentials) - 25p
Chicken (bigger 350g pack for £2.70) - equates to £2.31
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.44 - (up from £10.16)
Sainsbury's
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.29
Salted butter 250g - £2.15
Beans 400g tin - 21p
Chicken 300g - £2.50
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £11.04
Morrisons
Loaf of white bread 800g - 85p
Milk 2 pints - £1.25
Coffee (2 x 100g) - £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.30
Salted butter 250g - £1.99
Beans 410g tin - 29p
Chicken 300g - £2.49
Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.19
Total £12.06
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