Morrisons pledges to slash prices as price war intensifies
Morrisons has pledged to match prices with its rivals on hundreds of products, as the debt-ridden grocer ramps up an emerging price war between UK supermarkets.
The private-equity-owned supermarket has vowed that 500 of its “everyday essentials” will not be found cheaper at any of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi or Lidl.
Britain’s supermarkets are fighting to attract cash-strapped shoppers, as recent data shows that intense discounting among rival grocers is keeping a lid on prices.
Industry figures had warned that the Iran war could cause food inflation to spiral this year but the rate of price rises slowed in June. Retailers say their discounting is shielding shoppers from the Middle East conflict in the absence of any government action.
Morrisons has said it will match its rivals’ prices on products including bananas, bread, chicken fillets, bacon and pizza.
The Bradford-based chain said the new scheme will also extend to fresh lines including its fishmonger and bakery counters.
Morrisons takes fight to Aldi and Lidl
A renewed focus on keeping prices down has led to a row within the grocery industry over whether retailers are wooing shoppers with fake discounts.
Earlier this month, Aldi boss Giles Hurley backed a government crackdown on “rip-off” discounts, claiming that supermarkets which offer loyalty card prices are giving shoppers only “the impression they’re getting a great deal”.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s hit back, as sources close to both supermarkets pointed to an investigation by the competition watchdog which largely exonerated grocers’ use of loyalty discounts.
Alex Paver, Morrisons’s customer and marketing director, said: “Customers shouldn’t have to choose between great prices and great quality – and at Morrisons, they don’t have to.
“Our Unbeatable price commitment means customers can trust that the prices on these products simply won’t be beaten by Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi or Lidl.”
Morrisons is facing an uphill battle in its bid to pinch shoppers back from its supermarket rivals.
The grocer suffered a £629m pre-tax loss in the year to October 2025. The firm shed nearly 5,000 jobs in the period, as it closed its newspaper delivery service and downsized its Rathbones bakery business.
Morrisons firm has grappled with a mounting debt pile since its £7bn takeover by private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) in 2021. Its net debt grew from £7.1bn to £7.5bn in the last year.
The supermarket’s appeal to budget shoppers has been challenged in recent years by the rapid rise of German discounters Aldi and Lidl, which have pushed Morrisons into fifth place by market share.