LONDON — Waitrose has announced a major £20 million investment to reduce the prices of more than 160 own-brand grocery products, aiming to help customers manage rising household costs while maintaining the retailer’s reputation for premium quality.
The latest price reduction campaign lowers prices by an average of 12% across a wide selection of everyday essentials, including fresh produce, meat, frozen foods and cupboard staples. The initiative is expected to benefit nearly eight in ten Waitrose shoppers, with almost half of the discounted products coming from the retailer’s popular Essential Waitrose range.
Among the biggest reductions are baby spinach, which has fallen by 31%, chickpeas with a 26% price cut, British mini apples reduced by 23%, and chicken thighs, onions, free-range eggs and frozen peas all receiving significant discounts. The lower prices are available both in stores and through Waitrose’s online grocery service.
The supermarket said the investment reflects growing pressure on household budgets, with shoppers continuing to seek better value without sacrificing product quality. Despite the lower prices, Waitrose stressed that its standards for responsible sourcing and animal welfare remain unchanged.
Nathan Ansell, Chief Customer Officer at Waitrose, said customers are paying closer attention to their spending but still expect high-quality food. He added that the investment is designed to make everyday shopping more affordable while preserving the quality and sourcing standards that customers associate with the brand.
The latest announcement marks the ninth round of “New Lower Prices” introduced by Waitrose since 2023. With this latest investment, the retailer has committed a total of £162.5 million to reducing prices on more than 1,000 products over the past three years.
The move comes as competition among UK supermarkets continues to intensify, with retailers including Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Asda and Sainsbury’s all investing heavily in price reductions and promotional campaigns to attract value-conscious consumers. Industry data shows grocery inflation has eased compared with previous years, but shoppers remain highly focused on affordability, prompting supermarkets to compete more aggressively on everyday essentials.
For Waitrose, the latest campaign reinforces its strategy of combining competitive pricing with premium quality, seeking to reassure customers that lower prices do not mean lower standards.