Marks & Spencer is investing more than £4 million to reduce prices across its organic food range, as the retailer seeks to make organic products more accessible to a wider group of shoppers.
The move covers more than 50 organic products, including fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat. Some prices are being reduced by as much as £1.60.
Examples include organic garlic at 70p and organic carrots at 90p, while a number of other fresh and grocery products have also received reductions.
M&S said the changes are designed to make organic food more affordable at a time when shoppers remain highly conscious of grocery prices.
The retailer has been expanding its food business and using pricing as part of a broader strategy to attract customers who may previously have regarded M&S Food as an occasional or premium destination rather than a supermarket for the full weekly shop.
The organic market itself continues to grow. Industry figures cited in the latest announcement show UK organic food sales increased by around 4.4% annually, creating an opportunity for retailers to attract more shoppers into the category.
M&S is also planning organic zones in some refurbished Foodhalls, making it easier for customers to find organic products across fresh, ambient and frozen categories.
The strategy puts M&S into more direct competition with retailers such as Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, both of which have established organic ranges.
For M&S, lowering prices while maintaining the quality associated with its food business presents a significant challenge. The company must attract price-conscious shoppers without undermining the premium positioning that has traditionally differentiated its food offer.
The investment also comes as supermarket competition remains intense. Retailers are increasingly using targeted price reductions rather than broad-based discounting to demonstrate value on products that shoppers regularly buy.
M&S’s organic strategy therefore reflects a wider change in supermarket retail. Organic food is increasingly being positioned not only as a premium purchase but as a category that can form part of a normal weekly shop.
By investing more than £4 million in price reductions and expanding the visibility of its organic range, M&S is attempting to make organic food a more regular part of customers’ supermarket shopping.