Asda will ensure its budget Smart Price and Farm Stores ranges will be available at all of its 581 stores and online after complaints from anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe.
The grocer made the vow to stock its budget ranges across all its stores and online “to provide customers on a budget with more value choices” following a social media campaign led by food writer, journalist and campaigner Jack Monroe, also known as the Bootstrap Cook.
Monroe had highlighted Asda in tweets critical of grocers removing value and budget ranges from their shelves or increasing prices at a time when the sector had enjoyed bumper sales and profits during the pandemic.
Having “taken on board” Monroe’s criticism, Asda said it currently stocks 150 Smart Price and Farm Stores products in 300 stores and will introduce all 200 products in these value ranges to all food stores by March 1.
The grocer also said it had added 100 Smart Price and Farm Stores products to its website this week, increasing the total online range to 187 products, and this will rise to 200 by the end of the month.
Asda chief customer officer Meg Farren said: “We want to help our customers’ budgets stretch further and have taken on board the comments about the availability of our Smart Price range made by Jack Monroe.
“We are taking steps to put our full Smart Price and Farm Stores ranges in-store and online to make these products as accessible as possible.”
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