Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons have joined Iceland in slashing shelf prices of Aptamil powdered formulas SKUs, after owner Danone lowered the wholesale price by 7.1%.
Effective from 15 January, the wholesale price cut applies to all powdered Aptamil formulas sold to UK retailers.
Danone’s move came after a Competition & Markets Authority report in November, using data complied by First Steps Nutrition Trust, found formula prices had risen by a quarter in two years.
Iceland last week announced it would reduce Aptamil shelf prices to reflect Danone’s wholesale price reduction. First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk and Toddler Milk 1+ Year are now down 6.7% – from £12 to £11.20 – in Iceland stores.
Also last week, Sainsbury’s lowered the shelf price of five 800g powdered Aptamil products. First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk, Toddler Milk 1+ Year, Toddler Milk 2+ Years, and Hungry First Infant Milk were reduced 6.9%, from £14.50 to £13.50.
The grocer also cut the price of Aptamil’s Advanced First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk and Toddler Milk (all 800g) by 5.3% – from £19 to £18.
Tesco and Asda followed suit early this week, reducing First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk, Toddler Milk 1+ Year, Toddler Milk 2+ Years, and Hungry First Infant Milk from £14.50 to £13.50.
Asda also cut the price of Aptamil Advanced First Infant Milk from £19 to £18, and now allows customers to use Rewards vouchers to pay for any baby formula product.
Finally, Morrisons slashed its Aptamil prices on 17 January, reducing First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk and Hungry First Infant Milk from £14.50 to £13.50 on 17 January.
It also cut Aptamil’s Advanced First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk and Toddler Milk from £19 to £18.
Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker said: “I welcome Danone’s move to reduce the price of Aptamil across the market, and it’s only right we again reduce the price even further at Iceland.
“It’s important, however, that this doesn’t gloss over the actions which are still urgently needed to support families.
“2024 is going to be another tough year for families and we need immediate changes to the law to allow retailers to tell customers when they have reduced the price of formula,” Walker added.
Asda CCO Kris Comerford said: “For many of Asda’s customers, and families nationwide, we understand that buying baby formula is a vital necessity in their weekly shop, which is why we’re taking swift action to pass on falling manufacturing costs to customers before any other retailer.
At the same time, we’ve decided to remove exclusions on using Asda Rewards vouchers to pay for baby formula as we want to do everything we can to help families manage their budget and keep their family fed.”
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