Posted 6 August 2022

Asda launches 'Just Essentials - supermarket own-brand groceries - What do you think?

groceries.asda.com/cat…495

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Asda has today confirmed it will launch the largest budget-friendly essentials range in the market to help millions of families fight rising living costs.

‘Just Essentials by Asda’ comprises of 300 products, 50% more than the Smart Price Range it will eventually replace, while still offering customers the same great value. Products will arrive in store from May onwards and will be rolled out across the summer.

The new range will span all key categories including fresh meat, fish and poultry, bakery, frozen and all cupboard staples, so that families can create their favourite meals, whatever their budget. It will also include more than 20 essential household and toiletry products including washing-up liquid, toilet roll, laundry powder, shampoo and conditioner.

Asda will stock the full range in all 581 food stores, as well as online, and will continue to sell Smart Price products until these are replaced by Just Essentials.

  • New ‘Just Essentials by Asda’ value range launched to keep households running on a budget
  • With 300 products ‘Just Essentials by Asda’ is the largest value range in the market
  • Like-for-like sales in 2021 increased by 0.6% compared with previous year and by 4.3% on 2019
  • Operating profit in 2021 grew by 42% to £693.1m, predominantly due to a reduction in Covid-related costs
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  1. bozo007's avatar
    I hope consumers continue to check unit prices.
    adistripes's avatar
    Yup trolley.co.uk/ is very handy.
  2. DarthVader66's avatar
    So far not impressed it just drives down the quality. For example Salmon is farmed in Norway in essentials not Scotland (edited)
    deleted596537's avatar
    Little Englander 💂
  3. LAS00's avatar
    From a marketing/customer eye perspective the yellow is just an eye sore - very garish.
    The green/white Asda Price at least matched the company colours.
  4. fabsaver's avatar
    I wonder if they will sell the full range online.

    During the pandemic I did all my grocery shopping online. It used to really annoy my that I could not purchase anything from their 'smart price' range, these were only available in store. The next cheapest alternatives were often two or three times the price.

    Other supermarkets were happy to sell me their basics range products and deliver them to my door. Just pure greed from Asda and I stopped shopping with them as a result. I believe they finally changed their policy after some negative publicity in the press about it.
    kel64's avatar
    Have delivered plenty of yellow items in the last week, it's selling very well
  5. imisswoolworth's avatar
    Baked beans 25p v Tesco 22p. Yes it's 3p but ASDA 10% more expensive on this 1 item. I find myself shopping less and less there and more now at Tesco. Asda was ALWAYS cheaper in the past.
    dale7's avatar
    I agree asda has certainly gone dearer now on many things.
  6. angelhaseyes's avatar
    Thank boot strap cook for Asda bringing a lot of these back to the shelves. Check the ingredients list on these budget ready meals, some are more like home cooking and nutrition. A qualified nutritionist opened my eyes to some of these. Always use your own dried herbs, spices and condiments to liven up bland dishes. Better than a person going hungry that can't mentally, or physically cook. Don't knock what you haven't tried. Personally, Sainsburys aren't badly priced for me. Depends on your shop. (edited)
  7. Charger1969's avatar
    Was launched in May, I've been buying some of the range for the past few weeks, the bread is good at 39 and the 6 white rolls at 49p last for ages
  8. andrewworrall1's avatar
    Nothing against this range, nothing against people buying it. It's cheap, it's food, if it helps then it helps - great. Personally I have tried a few things and whilst there are some products I wouldn't buy again such as the 20p diet cola, there are products I would buy again such as the 39p bread (edited)
  9. Stelittle2609's avatar
    The bacon was decent enough. Wholemeal bread baps nice. The dog enjoyed the ham.
  10. iamryan's avatar
    I've always enjoyed the chips and curry sauce frozen microwave meal, it's nothing new just repackaged. Nice when hungover or lazy. Can't comment on much else.
  11. janebrown13's avatar
    And they used too do butter for £1.45 I can't find it anywhere
  12. Chrono's avatar
    Tried the orange juice and quiche its fine. Good price and tastes good.
  13. frrft's avatar
    Ready meals are never worth the price. 1.20 for that chilli. Most of this is probably cheaper at lidl or Aldi anyway. isnt this just their smart price range with a new design? (edited)
    modernmum33's avatar
    Yes, they tell you that it is.
  14. SHABBA_TRON's avatar
    Since Asda was taken over I noticed the prices of items increasing to the point they are more in line with Sainsbury's if not dearer but the quality is not there, doesn't just include smart price items, everything appears more expensive in Asda than most other supermarkets.
  15. bcfcrule's avatar
  16. flipper118's avatar
    The frozen chips and curry sauce is delish
  17. Ron_Owens's avatar
    So far pretty good
  18. Wongy111's avatar
    Chris Martin must be delighted
  19. helenpye100's avatar
    The tinned sweetcorn and marg were tasteless and the pasta wasn’t great. The fresh fruit was good last week - plums, apples and pears and the brown bread was ok.

    Still think Tesco’s was as cheaper and better quality in general.
  20. ChildofChaos's avatar
    I’ve stopped shopping at Asda or going there very often, once maybe every six months or so to see if they have anything interesting, Tesco is my main supermarket due to distance and I used to think there own brand stuff was pretty bad, but to be honest, most of the other supermarkets have gotten far worse now.

    Asda is another one that seem to have a great flavour vacuum that sucks all the flavour out of there own brand stuff, they introduce so many interesting sounding flavours and products, but when you buy it, it’s bland as hell, much like Morrisons. I don’t know what is up.
  21. rosanna.howard's avatar
    You have to check out and compare in all the stores and choose the good bits.

    Get the asda items that are the same or cheaper because you can combine with asda rewards and pay with a gift card bought with air time rewards.

    On a Thursday I buy items from sainsburys when have extra nectar points. These are products which are as cheap as the asda range such cooking bacon, chopped tomatoes and baked beans.

    Then check out other offers at other stores.

    Possibly you might want a lidl fruit and veg box. Also use freebie food apps.

    You cannot expect 1 store to save you money on every thing.
  22. robbie1412's avatar
    Half price half size
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  23. james.evansG4z's avatar
    Better than Morrisons
  24. Ladylayx's avatar
    In all fairness, its never cheaper than aldi, homebargains, bm stores etc and the quality on supermarket own brand value stuff is terrible. This is why us poor folk die young & the rich live longer - we have no choice but to buy and eat junk.
    c_1st's avatar
    Everyone has a choice to buy whole foods + cook them (like the old days: get lots more portions of healthy freezeable food by soaking raw beans/pulses, chopping veg, cooking fresh meat/fish from scratch), rather than ultra-processed ready meal junk.

    But, because of heavy marketing we have become a lazy-cook society, which has bought-into rubbish quick foods for convenience. Now, because we are encouraged - as folk without chefs at home - we value our time more than our health... Not realising spending more time PROTECTING our health buys us more time to enjoy our lives (edited)
  25. dealfiend101's avatar
    The ham was some of the worst I've ever tasted. Had to use alot of salad to disguise the taste.
    c_1st's avatar
    Why - what did it taste of?
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