Tesco in bid to become 'Britain's biggest discounter'
Joanne Grew and Chloe Smith, thegrocer.co.uk 15 September 2008 In: Retailers, Industry news | More

The "biggest ever launch", to be unveiled this week, will see Tesco become "Britain's biggest discounter", The Grocer can exclusively reveal.

A completely new 350-strong range of low-cost products features two new lines: 'Market Value' will be a new fruit and veg line, while the second line, dubbed 'Discounter', includes products stretching across dry grocery, frozen, health and beauty and dairy.

The new lines will be introduced to stores as early as Wednesday, a Tesco insider said.

Earlier this year Tesco in Ireland launched Cash Savers, a range of low-cost products grouped together in a distinctive gold and black area of the store. However the Market Value and Discounter ranges will not be grouped together or highlighted with the black and gold colour scheme, but will be dispersed throughout stores.

The Market Value packaging will have a white label with black lettering designed to look like handwriting.

The insider said Tesco was aiming to compete with Aldi and Lidl, which have shown impressive sales increases as shoppers tighten their belts. “We are aiming that this will be the biggest ever launch,” said the source.

The source described the range as an “add-on” to the Tesco Value range, and said it would be “in a similar price-bracket” to Value. “The range is going to be competitive in price and it is going to be [competing] against Aldi. It is better quality and will have competitive prices. It won’t be [competing] against our own-brand,” he said.

See next Saturday's edition of The Grocer for more information.