Nothing epitomises Asda’s cheap and cheerful image better than the self-effacing little yellow label it puts on reduced foods.
The labels read: ‘Oops’ — a jokey way to shift food that has to be quickly sold or removed from shelves.
However, having to knock £1 off a chicken reaching its sell-by date is nothing compared to the gaffe new Asda boss Andy Clarke made last week.
Mr Clarke stunned business analysts by admitting the supermarket’s food isn’t up to scratch. The fruit, vegetables, fish and meat for sale in the company’s 377 stores is not good enough, he said.
‘Food quality is something Asda hadn’t been as focused on in the past as it should have been,’ admitted Mr Clarke.
Yet for decades, Asda has boasted of championing consumers by forcing down food prices. Loyal customers swear by the allure of good-quality at rock bottom prices — a message that has been rammed down our throats by the ‘Asda price’ adverts launched in 1977, in which customers tap their pockets twice, producing a chinking sound, as the coins they’ve saved knock together.
But it’s not just cost today’s discerning food shoppers care about. Ingredients, additives and knowing exactly where their food has come from is now just as important. Many customers are also prepared to pay more for quality, hence the popularity of supermarket premium lines.
So what’s the truth about Asda food — can it really as bad as Mr Clarke claims?