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Asda accused of ’embarrassing poorer shoppers’ with new product design
Some customers think the new branding ‘screams inferior product’
Asda has come under fire for the design of its new budget range, with some shoppers accusing the supermarket of ’embarrassing’ poorer shoppers.
In response to the ongoing cost of living crisis, Asda launched its new Just Essentials range, which comprises of nearly 300 products.
The range, which has been hailed as the ‘largest budget-friendly essentials range in the market’, contains 50% more low-cost items than the Smart Price range it replaced.
Discount products include fresh meat, fish and poultry, baked goods, frozen products and cupboard staples. There are also household essentials such as washing up liquid, shampoo and conditioner.
Asda
Despite the supermarket’s good intentions, however, some shoppers have found issue with the Just Essentials bright yellow branding, which has replaced the traditional white and green Smart Price packaging.
One person wrote on Twitter: “I can’t explain, but Asda’s new yellow and white budget branding has really struck a nerve. I hate it so much.”
They added: “The way it screams ‘inferior product’ and that people on lower incomes don’t deserve nice design and should have a basket full of poverty markers.
“I’ll get over it, but it feels like a big step backwards.”
Another questioned: “@asda Why have you changed your value range to bright yellow please ? What was wrong with white?… any consideration for people who might be embarrassed that they can’t afford brands?”
However, many shoppers jumped to the supermarket’s defense by pointing out that there’s nothing embarrassing about saving money.
One Twitter user commented: “Apparently people are p****d about Asda’s new cheap food range having yellow packaging. Who tf [sic] cares if it stands out? Why would you be embarrassed about saving money?”
Another noted: “Which shoppers are ‘slamming’ Asda for this? People have far more important things to worry about, the colour of packaging on food isn’t one of them.”
A spokesperson for Asda also defended the new branding, saying in a statement to The Mirror that they’d received positive feedback about the range.
They added: “We don’t understand why anyone would feel embarrassed for saving money.”