Tesco, the UK's leading supermarket group, will from today cut £80 million (€123m) from its prices in a major post-Christmas campaign designed to help consumers tighten their belts.
The cuts apply across the UK and are the latest in a series which Tesco claims has knocked over £1.2 billion off prices in the last five years. Over 1,000 products are included with some prices falling by over 30 per cent.
Tesco claimed that this latest round of price cuts was the first to focus on helping time-poor convenience food couples and families - in other words, for the first time it has cut the prices of its ready meals, health and beauty products, alcohol, family essentials and children's favourites.
Ranges of fresh pasta, bottled water, oriental sauces and quiches - as well as skin and hair care products - will see prices fall at the same time as pizzas, crisps, milkshakes, razor blades and toothpaste.
Tesco director John Gildersleeve said: "Lots of customers are telling us they need to tighten their belts this year. We've listened and taken pounds off their shopping in a bid to help."
The New Year campaign extends the 'mega basket' of over 10,000 best selling products that Tesco monitors all year in a bid to ensure that its prices remain the lowest in the UK - or so the company claims.
"Customers rely on us to help them save money," said Gildersleeve. "The best way we can help is to lower the price of their favourite items. We check the prices of over ten thousand best selling products each week because we want to make sure no-one is cheaper than Tesco."