Tonight:
5°c
Asda sets the pace with discounts for 'tough times'
2 Jan 2009ASDA will offer discounts on 1,000 products from today in a move likely to ignite a "credit crunch" price war between the supermarket giants.
The high street chain said there would be price cuts on 1,000 essential items in its 350 stores across the UK, ranging from fresh and frozen goods to bakery items and toiletries.
The offers include £1 deals on a range of 100 frozen goods, three-for-£10 deals on leading wines, three-for-£10 offers on selected joints of chicken or meat and 200 everyday health and beauty lines such as shampoo and deodorant at £1.
Asda said it guaranteed that at any one time there would always be 1,000 items with reduced prices although some fresh produce would vary according to the season.
The chain said the price cuts would be funded by a drive launched last year to reduce unnecessary costs in its business.
Andy Bond, Asda president and chief executive officer, said: "2009 is going to be a very difficult year and I believe we have an obligation to help our customers through these tough times."
A spokeswoman for Tesco said: "We have already dropped our prices on thousands of everyday lines and we have more to come."
