Sainsbury’s to phase out Bogof and other multi-buy grocery deals from August
Sainsbury's has become the latest supermarket to announce it is phasing out multi-buy deals in favour of lower everyday prices instead.
The move, which will see the end of buy one get one free (bogof) and other such deals comes after Tesco announced similar plans last month, bring both chains closer in line with practices of the discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Asda has also long promoted its "every day low prices" (EDLP) and chief executive Andy Clarke has frequently spoken out against "panic'" promotional tactics of rival retailers.
Supermarket offers have been slammed by critics as confusing, with research out today by Money Advice Service finding that they can encourage shoppers to spend £1,300 more a year than they intended to.
Sainsbury's said it will start winding down its multi-buy promotions from August, adding that categories where they have already been replaced by lower regular prices include dairy, canned and packaged goods, meat, fish and poultry.
The retailer said growing awareness of the cost of food waste and more health-conscious eating had changed the way customers shopped.
Sainsbury's food commercial director, Paul Mills-Hicks, said: “By replacing multi-buy promotions with lower regular prices, we are making it easier for customers to buy the products they need, in the quantities they need, without having to buy multiple items to enjoy great value. Since we started simplifying our pricing approach we’ve seen a much greater variety of products in our customers’ baskets, signalling that they like the flexibility to make their own choices.”