Morrisons adds fuel to the supermarket price war with another round of price cuts
Morrisons has added fuel to the price war after announcing a further round of cuts in an effort to win back customers and revive sales.
The Yorkshire-based supermarket said it will slash the price of 1,072 items, with an average price cut of 19 per cent on fruit and vegetables.
The price of a kilo of Morrisons onions, for example, will fall from 80p to 56p while a pack of six salad tomatoes will become 18p cheaper at 76p. Other everyday products such as chicken, cheddar cheese and Pantene shampoo will also fall in price.
The cuts will be accompanied by a marketing campaign called Price Crunch and will be launched as a rolling programme, with cuts typically lasting a minimum of three months.
Chief Executive David Potts said: “We continue to listen carefully to customers and they have told us they want lower prices, particularly on fresh food and everyday essentials. As we improve our customers’ shopping trip we are becoming more competitive with our own distinct set of prices.”
After a better-than-feared Christmas trading period, the big four supermarkets are fighting to maintain the pressure on their rivals and narrow the price gap.
Asda was the first this year to step up the price war after announcing plans last month to invest a further £500m on top of the £1bn spending on price cuts already promised as part of its Project Renewal turnaround plan.
With no growth in the food market and the rise of the discounters, Asda chief executive Andy Clarke said it must "take radical action" to win back customers.