Encouraging the mass hunt for a bargain when the pennies are short is a powerful incentive, or so Morrisons must believe with its half-price offer being widely trumpeted on TV and in store.

At the same time, it is bringing exclusivity to its British potato range with an all-purpose variety called Innovator, at £1.69 for 2kg.

There is even a further incentive for those that read the small print. If customers agree, they can win “great prizes” by sending their praise to www.morrisons.co.uk/innovator.

The other thing that caught my eye in Morrisons is that many of the lines are carrying a green and white roundel advising the best conditions for storage at home.

There are several products apart from the humble spud that do not have the visual attraction of fruit because of their shape and colour. One such has been ginger, but Tesco has put it right with newly designed packs for the range. In this instance, the source is China at £1.19 for 125g, while the new design also features on packs of chillies.

Everything should look good with Chinese New Year coming up on the promotional calendar, not to mention Valentine’s Day.

Apart from the Union Jack on many home-grown lines, the source is often less obvious, even though it is named on pack. Sainsbury’s, however, has taken this into account with its flagged £1.79 for 250g mixed red and yellow tomato pack labelled as Best of Italian - Ripened by the Sicilian Sun. The varieties concerned are Santa (65 per cent) and Summer Sun (35 per cent).

It will be interesting to see whether this theme is extended further across the globe.

One arrival at Marks & Spencer in its Latest Discovery range, which is probably not even well-known in the trade, are its Perfectly Ripe pears from the Czech Republic. Priced at £2.49 for a four-pack or two for £3, the blushed fruit offers “something different”, but it will be up to the purchaser to decide what this is.

Meanwhile, there has been some good news for the citrus industry as far as seasonal Seville oranges now in store are concerned.

Recent research showed that marmalade sales have been dropping, but this has been tempered by the news that sales of fresh fruit for DIY enthusiasts has very much been on the increase.

Topics