Asda limits shoppers using Just Essentials budget range

Moneysaving range has proved more popular than expected, leaving Asda scrambling to improve availability.

There are all sorts of different measures people are taking at the moment in order to reduce the money they spend at supermarkets.

It could be as simple as being disciplined by sticking to a shopping list, or making the most of buying certain items in bulk.

However, one of the simplest is simply to switch the brand of goods that we buy ‒ rather than spending the extra on Heinz ketchup, you can instead opt for the supermarket’s own brand of sauce.

Repeat that across an entire supermarket basket, and you may find that you end up saving a decent amount.

Yet one supermarket is now looking to limit the way that shoppers can make use of its budget range.

Just enough Just Essentials

A couple of months ago Asda launched a new Just Essentials range.

The idea was that the range would help shoppers pick up the items they always need, at a wallet-friendly price. Asda describes the range as “simply priced and packaged cheap foods to suit every budget”. In other words, no frills.

However, it has now changed the way that shoppers can make use of the Just Essentials range. A temporary ban has been implemented, which means that shoppers can buy no more than three of any single item from within the range.

So those packets of simple baked beans, raspberries, bacon and the like will effectively be rationed ‒ tough luck if you happen to need four of them at any one point.

According to Asda the move is the result of the popularity of the range.

A spokesperson said that sales were growing so quickly that the supermarket had been forced to act, while it works to “improve availability across the range”.

While Asda has said this will only be a temporary measure, there is no timescale in place for when the ban may be lifted.

Turning to cheaper options

There’s no escaping the fact that the cost of food is a big worry for many of us at the moment.

In fact, it’s one of the biggest drivers in the current rate of inflation.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that food and non-alcoholic drinks have grown in price by an average of 13.1% in the 12 months to August, a staggering increase and the highest annual rate since 2008.

In fact, between July and August prices grew by 1.5%, the highest such jump since 1995.

This is echoed by research from Kantar, which found that households are spending £571 more on average for their food shopping each year than they were last year.

Standing out from the crowd

Supermarkets are well aware of the money struggles people are facing, particularly when it comes to buying food, which is why over the last year we have seen a succession of measures introduced with the stated aim of helping shoppers save a few quid.

Some have introduced price match schemes with deep discounters, others have trumpeted the launch of budget ranges, while some have opted to rejig their loyalty schemes, promising better rewards.

It’s an understandable battleground ‒ food shopping is one of the biggest essential expenditures any of us face each month, so promising to deliver better value for money is a big selling point.

However, it’s notable that plenty of shoppers are taking the more direct approach of simply switching to a more affordable supermarket altogether.

The latest market share data from Kantar World Panel shows that the deep discounter Aldi has leapfrogged Morrisons to become the fourth biggest supermarket in the UK, having seen its market share grow from 7.7% at Christmas to 9.3% today.

Lidl and Co-op have also seen market share increases over that period, from 6.3% to 7.1% and from 5.8% to 6.5% respectively.

By contrast, all of the bigger names ‒ Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and the like ‒ have seen market shares drop.