Aldi has intensified its counteroffensive against the price match campaigns of its rivals by highlighting big savings on competitor pricing – including branded items.
The discounter has called out Tesco and Sainsbury’s, with price comparisons showcasing savings of up to 30% on own-label products.
The ‘swap and save’ ads are the latest in the discounter’s ‘Can’t Match This’ campaign, its fightback against price-matching by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, which Aldi launched with a TV ad mocking the schemes last month.
Marketing emails this week compared Aldi’s £1.99 Tex Mex Dip Selection with Sainsbury’s similar Tex Mex Dips at £2.99, and Aldi’s Carlos Stuffed Crust Double Pepperoni Pizza at £3.79 with Sainsbury’s Takeaway Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Power Pizza at £5.25.
In other ads, Aldi claimed even bigger savings, comparing the price of its own-label products to brands at both Tesco and Sainsbury’s – a tactic that has come up in complaints about Aldi to the ASA in the past.
Aldi’s Highland Earl Blended Scotch Whisky at £12.89 was compared with Famous Grouse Finest Blended Scotch Whisky at Tesco for £17.75.
And Kettle Lightly Salted Potato Chips at Sainsbury’s for £2.40 were compared with Aldi’s Specially Selected Lightly Sea Salted Hand Cooked Crisps at £1.15.
Aldi was also claiming a saving on a basket of shopping at Tesco, while substituting Kettle Chips and Diet Coke from the supermarket with its own label Specially Selected Crisps and Vive Diet Cola.
A complaint about an Aldi ad by Tesco in 2019 led the ASA to rule that brand and own label comparisons were permissible but one between Aldi champagne and Moët & Chandon had misled by skewing the price of a basket. The watchdog found small print saying “Tesco may sell ‘own brand’ products at different Prices” was insufficient to counteract the overall misleading impression given by the selection of products.
Aldi said the ASA decision had made clear there was nothing wrong with comparing branded goods with own label ones where they met the same intended need and purpose. It said the latest ads made clear the comparisons were of specific goods by saying “on these products”.
“We go to great lengths to ensure our advertising is clear and this campaign hammers home one simple message: the only place you get Aldi prices, is at Aldi,” said a spokesman.
Aldi’s sales growth has slowed dramatically over the past 10 months, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s have grown their price-matched ranges and Asda and Morrisons have entered the fray by launching similar schemes.
New Kantar data last week put Aldi’s year-on-year sales growth at just 0.8% in the 12 weeks to 9 June, compared with total market growth of 2.4%. Aldi’s growth has been slowing steadily since September last year, when its sales were up 17.1% year on year.
The latest data also marks the fourth month in a row of year-on-year market share decline for Aldi. Its share currently stands at 10%, down from 10.2% a year ago.
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