Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Supermarkets under fire over 'race to bottom' vegetable price war

Supermarkets under fire over 'race to bottom' vegetable price war

iStock image

Farmers have slammed supermarkets over their practice of slashing the cost of vegetables to lure Christmas shoppers, saying that heavy discounting can impact consumer expectations about the real value of British produce.

Around Christmas, most supermarket giants, even upmarket chains Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, cut the price of festive basics by at least half at their busiest time of year.


The deep discounts come as the cost of producing homegrown vegetables has been pushed up with growers “already under the cosh” according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). Workforce availability, extreme weather and rising employment costs – compounded by recent national insurance and minimum wage increases – have taken their toll on the sector.

A spokesperson for the NFU told The Guardian, “While promotional activity can have positive impacts for growers to help drive sales volumes and attract new shoppers, growers have long held concerns about the impact heavy discounting can have on consumer expectations about the real value of British produce. Growers must also be reassured that this pricing strategy is not funded by unsustainable farmgate prices.”

Jack Ward, the chief executive of the British Growers Association, said: “Is that really a cause for celebration? We are giving people a false impression of what’s involved in improving food.

“People ask ‘if I can buy it for 15p at Christmas why is it 65p the rest of the year?’ It completely devalues what are superfoods compared to a lot of other things consumed in Christmas week. There’s no denying that consumers like this kind of deep discounting but they have got to understand it comes at a cost.”

While Ward admits that retailers take the profit hit on discounting the vegetables over the festive season, he says the growers will ultimately pay in lower prices throughout the year.

“Let’s not delude ourselves, the [cost of the] promotions are factored in somewhere along the way over the 12 months.”

Some retailers agreed the discounting was not good for the industry.

One supermarket insider told The Guardian that the discount frenzy devalued the image of vegetables and that it is a "race to the bottom and no one is really benefiting. Anyone selling a bag of carrots for 17p is making a thumping loss.”

More for you

Ceylon service station transformed into SPAR site with £1.5m rebuild

Ceylon service station transformed into SPAR site with £1.5m rebuild

Family-run forecourt business AY&Y Patel Dewsbury Ltd has transformed its Ceylon service station in Rochdale with a £1.5 million complete knockdown rebuild.

Located in Yorkshire Street, the site has been in the family business for almost 35 years and now has an expanded brand-new SPAR store, serviced by James Hall & Co. Ltd, and a modernised Shell forecourt.

Keep ReadingShow less
Convenience retailer creates premium gin using local trees

Retailer Kaual Patel

Convenience retailer creates premium gin using local trees

A South London Nisa retailer has crafted a truly unique product, transforming trees outside his convenience store into a premium gin.

Kaual Patel, owner of Nisa Local Torridon Road in Lewisham, has partnered with Gin In A Tin, a renowned Cotswolds-based distillery, to create a limited-edition gin inspired by the bay and olive trees he planted outside his store.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fifth-generation wholesaler Filshill marks 150th year anniversary

Fifth-generation wholesaler Filshill marks 150th year anniversary

One of Scotland’s oldest and most respected independent food and drink wholesalers, JW Filshill, is marking its 150th anniversary in 2025 with a raft of activity based around the theme ‘Delivering Success’ that champions sustainability, innovation, community, and wellbeing.

With a proud heritage spanning five generations, Filshill remains firmly rooted in its core values while embracing a bold vision for the future. From its origins as a confectionery manufacturer in Glasgow’s Gallowgate in 1875 to its position today as an award-winning wholesaler, Filshill has continually evolved to serve independent KeyStore convenience stores across Scotland and the north of England.

Keep ReadingShow less
Suzanne Kirkham (centre) with Chris Murphy, retail account manager, Phillips 66 Limited & Vas Mohanathas, operations director, JP & S Services Ltd

Suzanne Kirkham (centre) with Chris Murphy, retail account manager, Phillips 66 Limited & Vas Mohanathas, operations director, JP & S Services Ltd

Hampshire woman wins Toyota Yaris Cross in JET promotion

A legal assistant from Hampshire, Suzanne Kirkham, has been revealed as the winner of a new Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid car in JET’s biggest promotion to date – Pump Up to 70.

Customers at JET service stations across the country were set the task of filling up their vehicles and stopping at a number ending in £0.70 to be within a chance of winning. The promotion is in celebration of the fuel brand’s platinum 70th anniversary.

Keep ReadingShow less
AG Barr FMCG specialist joins board of Radnor Hills

AG Barr FMCG specialist joins board of Radnor Hills

Radnor Hills, one of the UK’s leading soft drinks manufacturers, has welcomed FMCG specialist Jonathan Kemp to its board.

Kemp, who will join the board of directors of the Powys-based company as a non-executive director this month, has a long and successful career in brand building within the FMCG industry.

Keep ReadingShow less