With the cost of living crisis leaving many households struggling to make ends meet, some retailers have made an effort to make their products more affordable for families.
Supermarket giant Asda has rebranded its Smart Price items to form its new Just Essentials range, forming its “largest ever budget-friendly range” full of cupboard staples to help customers combat rising costs. But while many reviews have praised the “cheaper than cheap” items for their “brilliant prices”, some shoppers were less pleased about the way the items are packaged.
The Just Essentials range is branded with bright yellow packaging, and some thought that the stand-out design would cause embarrassment to poorer families who are buying the products, The Mirror reports. One shopper said that the packaging suggests “people on lower incomes should have a basket full of poverty markers”.
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Another shopper blasted the supermarket on Twitter, saying that the Just Essentials range has “the most ridiculous bright yellow packaging which just screams ‘we are poor!’ for any shopper buying them.” But many other shoppers have been quick to heap praise on the items.
One shopper pointed out that the yellow packaging “helps them stand out on the shelf”, ensuring that shoppers know which items won’t leave them out of pocket. The range includes the likes of a 500g pack of spaghetti for 23p, tins of baked beans for 25p, chicken nuggets for 85p and toad in the hole for 90p.
“Asda’s Just Essentials range is honestly such a good idea,” one person wrote. “I’m glad one supermarket isn’t just money-grabbing.”
Another said: “Asda’s Just Essentials range is so impressive in terms of variety and price.”
Asda insisted that its customers were “loving” the range, with a spokesperson saying: “We don’t understand why anyone would feel embarrassed for saving money.”
The Just Essential range comprises almost 300 products, including fresh vegetables, meat and fish, dairy, baked goods, frozen food, tins and cans, and a huge selection of other items. It also includes bathroom and cleaning essentials such as toilet roll, washing-up liquid, shampoo and conditioner.
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