A review of promotions in the first six months of this year shows that, while the top five mechanics used for featured space promotions remain in largely the same order, half-price is the new kid on the block.

Half-price showed the biggest gain with eight points in the first six months of this year, moving up one place to fourth to account for 9% of the preferred top five mechanics.

Extra-free dropped five points and one place to fifth with 3% in this year's chart.

The multisave x-for-y accounted for 34% of the top five in 2008 - only one point down on the same position it held in 2007.

Basic save offers remained fairly static, dropping only two points from 34% in the first six months of 2007 to account for 32% in 2008.

Buy-one-get-one-free stays in third place - one point higher than its 2007 figure to take 22% in 2008.

In individual retailers, Asda's top two mechanics are x-for-y, gaining eight points to account for 62% of activity in 2008, with save remaining in second place, dropping seven points from 45% to 38%.

Morrisons favours bogof, which remained its top promotion, though it dropped three points to 33% .

Save moved up to second place with a 10-point gain to 29%.

Sainsbury's, which was the

cause of much of the recent bogof frenzy, has stabilised to show that save remains its primary featured space mechanic, despite having dropped 14 points from the same period last year to 37%, with x-for-y retaining second place and up one point to 34%. Bogof has stayed in third but gained 13 points to account for 24%.

Somerfield utilises x-for-y as its primary mechanic with 29% in 2008 - down six points - with save staying second with 26% year-on-year.

Tesco has used x-for-y and bogof in equal measure overall with 27% each. However, bogof dropped 18 points from the 45% it held in the same period last year, with save gaining three points.