Supermarket competition hots up for Valentine's Day

Latest UK marketing news reports in Brand Republic and Marketing Magazine show that the big UK supermarket chains, Asda, Aldi, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose are in direct competition, offering similar Valentine’s Day promotions.

Waitrose, the supermarket that is top of the Which? customer satisfaction survey, is offering a £15 meal deal. This campaign, created by ad agency MCBD will be promoted in both online and print mediums in the run up to Sunday. The meal deal itself incorporates two side dishes, a main meal for two, a dessert or box of chocolates and to finish, a bottle of wine or bubbly.

Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer who first penned the meal deal idea with their ‘Dine in for £10′ offer, are promoting a ‘Love in for £20′ deal. From Thursday 11 Feb to Valentine’s Day, romantically inclined shoppers may choose a starter, main course, side dish, dessert, chocolates or a red rose and a bottle of bubbly. Akin to its main rival Waitrose, the high end food chain is supplementing the offer with an advertising campaign, using the straplines ‘Don’t forget the roses, Cupid’ and ‘If you love her you’ll buy her roses… If you truly love her you’ll buy her M&S roses’.

Other supermarkets have launched similar meal deals with Sainsbury’s announcing a £10 deal ‘Wine and dine your Valentine’; Tesco’s ‘Love Deals’; and Asda promoting a range of Valentine products from cupcakes to bubble baths.

The supermarkets hope to cash in on the market of those people who like to enjoy a romantic evening in on Valentine’s Day, avoiding the expense as well as the hustle and bustle of restaurants.

Related posts:

1. Waitrose tops supermarket satisfaction survey
2. Study suggests label is more important than vintage for wine drinkers
3. Tesco goes green with plastic bottles
4. Samsung extends marketing campaign by including modelling competition
5. Guns N’ Roses singer goes after Guitar Hero III makers