Nearly one in five products currently sold under Asda’s “round pound” campaign are more expensive than they were five months ago, according to a new report.
Trade magazine The Grocer checked the recent prices of 969 bargain products on the Asda website and compared them with prices offered on March 1.
It found that in many cases the UK’s second largest supermarket has been rounding prices up rather than down, with a total of 173 items out of the 969 examined (18 per cent) costing more in July than in March.
Examples of some of the largest price rises included Asda chocolate spread and a one-litre bottle of Lucozade, up from 74p and 77p respectively to a £1.
The Grocer stated: “Asda’s heavily publicised round pound lines have become a key part of its promotional offer, but almost one in five of these lines sold for less than a quid just months ago.”
However, an Asda spokesman yesterday dismissed the findings, claiming the report is “as reliable as the British weather”.
He said: “Our commitment to customers is clear — we will always have 7,000 different products priced at £1 or less.
“While those products might change, the value we offer remains the same – that is why we’ve been named Britain’s lowest price supermarket for 12 years in a row.”
The Asda “round pound” campaign was launched at the beginning of the year and promises 7,000 everyday items for £1 or less.
