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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Sam Barker

Asda shake-up as supermarket unveils plans to replace budget food range Smart Price

Asda is about to scrap its Smart Price range and replace it with a new budget range called Just Essentials.

The supermarket said Just Essentials would be the "largest budget-friendly essentials range in the market" and will help millions of families fight rising living costs.

The supermarket's cheapest range is currently Smart Price , with around 150 items.

But soon Asda will phase out Smart Price and bring in Just Essentials, with around 300 products.

The Just Essentials range will include fresh meat, fish and poultry, bakery, frozen food and cupboard staples.

It will also include household goods like washing up liquid and toilet roll, as well as toiletries like shampoo and conditioners.

From May shoppers will be able to buy a new range called Just Essentials (Manchester Family / MEN)

An Asda spokesperson told The Mirror that shoppers can find Just Essentials in its supermarkets from May.

The Just Essentials products will be the cheapest items Asda stocks, and be comparable or cheaper to Smart Price - just with more choice.

Asda will stock Just Essentials in all its 581 stores, as well as online.

Asda co-owner Mohsin Issa said: "We understand that customers are increasingly worried about the cost of living and want help to keep their grocery bills in check, whilst still being able to buy healthy and nutritious food for their families.

"Our new ‘Just Essentials’ range has been specifically designed with this in mind, combing our lowest prices with a much larger and more diverse range of great value products to meet all household needs.”

Last month food campaigner Jack Monroe said she was moved to tears after spotting "remarkable" Smart Price choices on a visit to Asda.

In the past she has criticised the supermarket chain after items including peanut butter, had been removed from the cheaper line.

Her research showed budget prices across the "big four" supermarket had seen a sharp increase over recent years.

But Jack then found products from the chain's Smart Price and Farm Stores ranges at their local store, saying it had made it the “happiest shopping experience in over a decade”.

After seeing Jack's earlier Tweets, Asda said it would stock its Smart Price and Farm Stores ranges in all 581 food stores and online by March 1 to help its customers with the cost-of-living crisis.

Asda is also expanding the number of greengrocers in its stores, and expects the offering to reach 250 branches from next month.

The supermarket first confirmed in September 2021 that it would appoint 150 specialist greengrocers in stores across the UK.

The billionaire Issa brothers and owners of Asda confirmed this service would be available in a further 100 stores.

It would take the total number of branches with in-store greengrocers to 250 from April.

The main job of an in-store greengrocer is to oversee quality standards and check product availability, as well as maintaining presentation of the produce area.

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