Ireland: Eurospar undercuts rivals
At the start of the month, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, and the Musgrave Group pledged not to sell fruit and vegetables at below-cost prices in the run-up to Christmas. The commitment was made after the selling of fruit and vegetables for just a few cents per item provoked widespread protests among farmers and representative organisations last year.
While prices are nowhere near what was on offer last year, one retailer has come out of the traps offering some fruit and veg for as little as 9c. Eurospar is currently offering 750g of onions and 750g of clementines for 9c, while you can also pick up a melon and pineapple for the same price. For items like 400g of baby potatoes, 500g of brussels sprouts, and 750g of carrots, the retailer is in line with much of the rest of the market at 39c.
SuperValu is offering a two for one ‘mix and match’ deal on a range of fruit and veg at €1. Tesco is offering the usual staple of Christmas vegetables at prices anywhere from 19c for 500g of onions to 69c for 1kg of white potatoes, 750g of brussels sprouts, and 1.5kg of carrots.
Similarly, Aldi has cut its vegetable offerings but nowhere near the levels of last year, with its range available from between 49c and 70c, while Dunnes Stores’ range all comes in at 49c.
IFA vegetable committee chairman Matt Foley said he was “disappointed” at reports of low-cost selling, stating it set a “dangerous precedent, undermines growers, and sends a misleading message to consumers regarding the inherent value of essential and healthy food”.
Source: irishexaminar.com
