Aldi and Lidl are to face a new rival as another supermarket is due to open in the UK next month. Motatos says it can cut prices by offering surplus food from wholesalers and will also be a challenge to supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.
Motatos is said to have already established partnerships with several distributors including Wholegood and Pricecheck ahead of its UK launch in June, Manchester Evening News reports. Established in Sweden in 2014, it is known as Matsmart across Europe.
It is not yet known exactly what times will be sold, or the prices, but it will sell "well-known products that would otherwise risk ending up in landfill”, the Grocer reports. This includes items that are no longer being sold on shelves due to changes in packaging, seasonal changes or short best before dates.
It has stores in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Germany, and sells large pack goods, drinks, snacks, household, pets and beauty products. Deliveries are made by third party logistics companies, typically taking between one and three working days, with the cost of shipping depending on the size of orders.
Motatos is said to have already established partnerships with several distributors including Wholegood and Pricecheck ahead of its UK launch
UK country manager Christabel Biella told The Grocer: “UK shoppers are incredibly passionate about sustainability but they need easy and cost-effective ways to make sustainable choices that often come with a hefty price tag. That is why I’m so excited to join Motatos, especially at this point in its development following incredible success in other European markets.”
News of another discount supermarket in the UK comes after Russian supermarket chain Mere - known as the "Russian Lidl" - announced it was closing its first UK store following the invasion of Ukraine. The discounter has also reportedly paused plans to open more shops.
Mere had planned several more UK store openings by this spring and wanted to open 300 stores here eventually - including two in Wales, in Mold and Caldicot, and another in Castleford in the north of England. The business had even teased more store openings in January this year, saying it would bring “a much better and improved offer for our customers than at the beginning”.
On its website, Motatos says 'it's coming soon to the UK' as it 'expands to new markets'
