Tesco’s next move: Battling Asda’s price cuts in grocery war

Tesco is set to respond to Asda’s price-cutting strategy as it reports full-year results. While Asda aims to reclaim market share with lower prices, analysts question its sustainability. Tesco, with a strong balance sheet, expects steady growth despite rising costs.

Tesco is poised to address the pricing challenge posed by rival Asda when it reports its full-year results on Thursday. Asda, the UK’s third-largest grocer, recently announced a strategy to cut prices to reclaim lost market share, even if it means sacrificing profits. However, many analysts are sceptical about Asda's ability to sustain a price war, citing rising prices in the UK grocery market and questioning whether its majority owner, TDR Capital, will provide enough financial backing.

In contrast, Tesco and its close competitor Sainsbury's both have stronger balance sheets, positioning them to better weather the pricing storm. Tesco's market share has remained robust, with the latest data showing a 27.9% slice of the UK grocery market, a slight increase from the previous year. Analysts believe Tesco, along with discount chain Aldi, has a solid strategy in terms of price perception and doesn't need to react aggressively to Asda’s move.

For the year to February 2025, Tesco expects a retail adjusted operating profit of around £2.9 billion, reflecting steady growth despite rising operational costs. Analysts predict continued growth for Tesco in 2025/26, even as market pressures mount.

Copied