Waitrose launches budget own label range

New essentials range

Waitrose, the UK’s upmarket supermarket and convenience retailer, has launched a budget own label range – essentials.

Introduced last month (March), it comprises staple grocery items plus fruit and vegetables, household goods, meat, fish and poultry.

According to the supermarket, essential Waitrose is designed to make shopping for staple groceries easier for customers. The packaging design has a consistent look and feel making it easy for shoppers to navigate ranges throughout the store.

“Customer research tells us that although we are a destination store for quality products, shopping for our own label essential items hasn't been as easy as it could be,” said Mark Price, managing director of Waitrose.

“Waitrose own label lines have always been produced to a superior quality and even sold as a standalone brand in quality supermarkets throughout the world. essential Waitrose effectively combines the quality our customers have come to expect and the reassurance of Waitrose values, together with affordable prices and an easily recognisable brand.”

The range will be made up of 200 new lines as well as existing Waitrose products, 450 of which will be reduced in price.

Products will continue to launch in stores until the end of October 2009 across 98 categories.

Waitrose claims not to have compromised on quality standards or sourcing integrity with the new range. All pork used in essential Waitrose is British and outdoor reared, for example, and all chicken is British and eggs are free range. The bananas are Fairtrade, and UK fruit and vegetables are accredited to the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) scheme.