All the budget groceries will cost the same as they do in larger Morrisons supermarkets – which often isn't the case in convenience stores.
The announcement follows a campaign by Which? calling on all major supermarkets to stock budget-range products in their convenience stores, so low-income households who rely on these shops can buy healthy foods without having to splash out on branded or premium own-label ranges.
Over 500 Morrisons Daily stores will sell value-range items
Morrisons says it's started selling value products in its Daily convenience stores, which number more than 500, in response to feedback from customers.
It is already selling 10 value-range items including washing up liquid, toilet rolls, peppers and sausages. The 30 items it has committed to adding include eggs, ham, juice, butter, cheese and mince.
The supermarket has also reduced the price of 18 popular products in its Morrisons Daily stores, including own-label two-pint and four-pint milk cartons and six-packs of salad tomatoes.
It relaunched its Savers value range earlier this year, adding 56 new products to take the total to 217.
Morrisons' chief executive David Potts said: ‘Speaking plainly, the reason that convenience stores don’t stock entry-price-point products is because they make very little, if any, money and do not fit with the significantly higher cost structure of convenience stores.
‘But customers – especially those living in areas without easy access to a supermarket – have told us how much they would appreciate it at this difficult time and so we are doing it.’
Find out more'Morrisons deserves praise'
Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: ‘Which? has been campaigning for supermarkets to stock budget ranges in small stores as we know this could make a big difference to people who have to rely on them and who are struggling to put food on the table.
‘Morrisons deserves praise as the first big supermarket to show there is no barrier to putting budget ranges on the shelves of all stores for the same price. We look forward to seeing the full range that Morrisons will be offering that should ensure households on tight budgets can cook a range of healthy meals.
‘Other supermarkets should follow this example by stocking a range of budget lines that support a healthy diet across branches, including smaller convenience stores – with a particular focus on areas where people are really struggling with the cost of living. All supermarkets should also make pricing more transparent – including on promotions and loyalty card offers – so shoppers can easily find the best value products.’
Find out more:Our Affordable Food for All campaign
While multiple factors in the food supply chain are contributing to rising prices, Which? strongly believes supermarkets could be doing more to help shoppers. We want supermarkets to stock budget-range foods that support a healthy diet in their smaller convenience stores, particularly in areas where they are most needed.
Supermarkets must also commit to clearer unit pricing, especially on promotions and loyalty card offers, so that people can easily work out which products offer the best value.
Given the urgency of this cost-of-living crisis, we believe the government must act now and work with supermarkets to make a real difference to the millions of people struggling to put food on the table.
What do shoppers think about Morrisons?
In our annual supermarkets survey, more than 300 Morrisons customers rated it on aspects including queuing time, food quality and value for money, both in-store and online.
*Which? surveyed 2,000 adults in the UK between 19 and 23 May 2023. Fieldwork was carried out online by Opinium and data has been weighted to be representative of the UK population (aged 18+).
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/morrisons-to-stock-budget-products-in-its-convenience-stores-alYQu9l4MACl