Tesco adds more discounts as John Lewis reveals snow hit sales

Tesco is to add 100 new discount lines, in particular to its childrenswear and skincare ranges.

UK Marketing Director Carolyn Bradley says a new kids range Molly and Jack is to be rolled out as one in four of its customers are now buying reduced price products as they tighten belts in reaction to the deepening recession.

The move follows news that Shop Direct will seek to re-energise the affordable childrenswear Ladybird brand as it relaunches Woolworths online, after it bought the two brand names for an undisclosed sum last month.

Tesco’s step also follows aggressive moves by all UK supermarkets to keep and attract new customers trading down from premium to value ranges.

Meanwhile high street bellwether John Lewis has revealed the recent heavy snowfalls across the UK exacerbated the affect of the economic squeeze on sales, reporting a 17.1% drop in the week ended February 7th, compared to last year.

The group, who recently revealed it had replaced its long-standing incumbent advertising agency Lowe with Adam & Eve, said stores in the south of the country were most affected by the heaviest snowfall for 20 years, with sales in Milton Keynes plunging 39.4%.