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The major mults moved away from multibuys in 2016 amid concerns they were annoying shoppers and contributing to waste

Multibuys are creeping back at the major mults, latest data shows - just as opposition MPs this week backed government plans to ban bogofs on ‘junk’ food.

The major mults moved away from multibuys in 2016 amid concerns they were annoying shoppers and contributing to waste and the UK’s obesity problem. However, they have been returning to supermarket shelves in recent months and currently account for 19.8% of total featured space promotions in the mults [Promo Dynamic Retailers: 4 w/e 15 April 2018].

Bogofs, which were all but axed, crept up by 0.2 percentage points year on year to account for 0.9% of total deals. “All retailers except Asda and Sainsbury’s have increased bogofs this month, albeit by small amounts,” says Kay Staniland, Assosia director.

Most supermarkets have also increased their use of x for y deals, which are up by 1.3 percentage points to account for 19.8% of total deals in mults.

Waitrose has ramped up multibuys the most, with bogofs and x for y deals now accounting for 29.6% of its total promotions. “Waitrose has seen the biggest change in overall mechanics due to an almost 9% increase in multibuys, triggered mainly by its 8.3% increase in x for y promos,” adds Staniland.

However, Asda and Tesco have also increased their use of multibuy mechanics compared with last year. While Asda currently has no bogofs on shelves, and hasn’t since 2007, x for y offers now account for 31.9% of promotions, up 3.3 percentage points on last year - making it the biggest user of multibuys.

Significantly, Asda has increased its use of x for y deals in the impulse category.

The ban on multibuys for foods high in sugar, fat and salt is expected to be announced in June, alongside other measures to tackle obesity in the UK.

*This article was amended on 1 May to correct a data error. A previous version claimed Sainsbury’s had increased multibuys and re-introduced bogofs, which is not the case.*