Inflation is coming down, spending is on the up, and there seems to be a light at the end of the cost of living crisis tunnel. But brands cannot ignore the lasting effects of this turbulent economic period on consumer behaviours.

Consumer expectations are higher than ever and the influence of ‘quality/taste’ on spending habits has notably increased, according to the 2025 UK F&B trends report. While people are still being careful with their cash, they are more likely to indulge in ‘affordable luxuries’.

Products and experiences that fall under this definition are recognised as being ‘a cut above’ thanks to design cues that signify style and sophistication. However, the most important factor is that the price point remains accessible.

So how do you offer this combination to consumers? Here, we can learn from Asda’s own-label range.

Beyond Just Essentials

Recently, Asda has seen significant value growth in own-label brands – especially from 2022 to 2023, when its Smart Price range was transformed into the sunny yellow Just Essentials brand. Five months after the rebrand, I told The Grocer how we wanted to make it easy for people to find everyday essential products, to help their money go further.

This still rings true and, while this range saw huge success with sales increasing by 106% in August/September 2022 alone, it was immediately clear its premium own label also needed a boost.

A desire for affordable luxury has forced retailers to innovate in the premium tier. Asda has led the way, increasing the number of premium SKUs by 22% year on year. But, if Asda was going to be the crown jewel of the mid-tier supermarkets, its premium range needed to play into consumer desires for quality and taste.

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The Exceptional rebrand

Changing the name from Extra Special to Exceptional this year was just the beginning, and laid the foundations for shifting perceptions of the range.

Whether we realise it or not, our brains psychologically associate certain colours with quality. Green has been synonymous with the brand since the 1960s, so we leveraged it to make Exceptional unmistakably Asda, but elevated. Hues of emerald with accents of gold immediately signal understated luxury and communicate confidence. Pair this with dramatically lit food photography and you get the perfect combination of premium visual cues.

But looks aren’t everything. Brands are like people when it comes to tone of voice: too pretentious and you’ll get eyerolls and avoidance, too childish and you won’t be taken seriously. Too plain and people will get bored.

We found the best recipe for conveying quality includes flavour descriptions, hints of storytelling and a dash of credibility, nodding to the freshness of the ingredients. The consumer’s interaction with the brand should be like talking with a taste-led foodie.

The importance of choice

Bolstering Asda’s premium offering doesn’t make Just Essentials redundant, because people’s financial situations, preferences and tastes change constantly.

Now more than ever, you’re likely to spot a multitude of brands at different price points in one basket. The thing to remember is that consumers like nothing more than having the ability to choose and be flexible with their spending to suit their needs.

Leveraging design in the right way results in clearer communication of own-label offers. If consumers believe they can get everything from one parent brand, on one website, under one roof, you become their go-to.

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