Marks and Spencer has launched more than 30 new value food products this month as it continues to position itself as a value player to rival the “big six” supermarkets
Marks and Spencer is broadening its selection of budget-friendly food products as it aims to challenge the dominance of the “big six” supermarkets – Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – in attracting family shoppers. The high street stalwart, traditionally recognised for its premium own-label offerings, is now claiming the title of Britain’s fastest-expanding grocer among households, according to checkout data from industry analysts Worldpanel.
Recent YouGov polling indicates a three percentage point rise over the past two years in the proportion of families willing to shop at M&S Food, whilst family perceptions of the retailer’s value have jumped by 10 percentage points during the same timeframe. This month alone has seen the introduction of over 30 fresh value products, featuring household essentials such as 500g and 750g portions of 5% fat beef mince and 1kg bags of frozen sweetcorn.
The retailer reported that sales of its value ranges, encompassing “remarksable value”, “dropped and locked” and “bigger pack, better value” lines, climbed 20% in last year’s third quarter, with the “remarksable value” range having doubled in scale since 2023. Top performers included loose bananas at 90p per kilogram, a substantial 1.5kg lasagne priced at £9 and a dozen free-range eggs for £3.30.
Sales of the beef mince have soared by 80% since its addition to the “remarksable value” collection. The range has welcomed more than 40 products since 2023, featuring select farms red cooking onions (£1.10), 500g Greek style yoghurt 0% fat (£1.15) and traditional Scottish oats 1kg (£1.25).
M&S emphasised these weren’t “entry level” ranges that cut corners on quality or portion sizes, but rather the “same high-quality products customers expect from MandS but at a lower price point, enabled by investment in value from the retailer”. The retailer has stated its ambition to double the size of its food business and pledged to continue investing in its value lines.
Kara Greatorex, chief commercial officer at M&S Food, explained: “For M&S, becoming a shopping list retailer is about offering core ingredients and products at the right price without compromising on quality. Over the last few years, we have improved the remarksable value range by lowering the price of core shopping trolley essentials, whilst retaining the quality and sourcing credentials MandS is known for.
“Families are now more likely than ever to come to MandS Food for trusted value and to help them when they shop with us, there are now over 250 products across MandS Food’s three value ranges, remarksable value, dropped and locked, and bigger pack, better value.”
M&S’s decision arrives during a wave of price pledges from major supermarkets as they battle to win over households grappling with rising food costs during the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze. Food inflation climbed to 3.3%, up from November’s 3% and significantly exceeding broader shop price inflation of 0.7%, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ figures.
The most recent market share data from Worldpanel reveals that Lidl made the biggest leap among supermarkets over the 12 weeks to December 28, adding 0.5 percentage points to secure 7.8% of the market and witnessing a sales growth of 10%. In contrast, grocery sales at M&S were up by 7.2% over the same 12-week period compared to the previous year.
