The brands in Marks & Spencer’s branded goods trial are cheaper than at Sainsbury’s, a survey by analyst Blue Oar Securities has revealed.
The survey, which Blue Oar admitted was “fairly crude”, looked at 40 brands and found that M&S had priced them between Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. On average, M&S’s prices were 0.4% cheaper than Sainsbury’s and 1% more expensive than Waitrose’s.
While it may be surprising that Waitrose appeared cheaper than Sainsbury’s in the survey, The Grocer 33 data shows that on branded goods Waitrose is broadly competitive with the other multiples. It is the retailer’s own-label products that earn it the most expensive basket in our weekly survey.
Most of the brands at M&S were within a few pence of the other supermarkets, but there were some significant differences, said Blue Oar analyst Greg Lawless.
“M&S had the cheapest Marmite, 18% cheaper than any other retailer in our survey. The company also had the cheapest Colgate toothpaste,” he said.
Some branded items matched other retailers on price, including Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and two-litre bottles of Coca-Cola.
M&S began selling 350 brands in 19 of its stores in Teesside and Tyneside last month. It describes them as “essentials” and they include Marmite, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Pantene, Beck’s and Flora. If successful, the four-month trial will go nationwide.
M&S brands p24
The survey, which Blue Oar admitted was “fairly crude”, looked at 40 brands and found that M&S had priced them between Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. On average, M&S’s prices were 0.4% cheaper than Sainsbury’s and 1% more expensive than Waitrose’s.
While it may be surprising that Waitrose appeared cheaper than Sainsbury’s in the survey, The Grocer 33 data shows that on branded goods Waitrose is broadly competitive with the other multiples. It is the retailer’s own-label products that earn it the most expensive basket in our weekly survey.
Most of the brands at M&S were within a few pence of the other supermarkets, but there were some significant differences, said Blue Oar analyst Greg Lawless.
“M&S had the cheapest Marmite, 18% cheaper than any other retailer in our survey. The company also had the cheapest Colgate toothpaste,” he said.
Some branded items matched other retailers on price, including Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and two-litre bottles of Coca-Cola.
M&S began selling 350 brands in 19 of its stores in Teesside and Tyneside last month. It describes them as “essentials” and they include Marmite, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Pantene, Beck’s and Flora. If successful, the four-month trial will go nationwide.
M&S brands p24
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