BBQ smoked chilli pulled pork is included in a range of key new products launched by Sainsbury’s in the face of a continuing battle to arrest falling sales.
The supermarket’s chief executive, Mike Coupe (pictured above), said trading conditions were “being impacted by strong levels of food deflation”, as he reported a sixth quarterly sales decline in succession. Sainsbury’s sales for the 12 weeks to June 6, while better than expected, still finished 3.7% down on the previous quarter.
The chief executive remained upbeat in his comments, however, not least in relation to new product developments
“We are known for our differentiated offer and, to reinforce our quality credentials, we announced in our Strategic Review that we would invest in the quality of 3,000 own-brand products,” he said, commenting that, as a result, new products had been added in several categories, focusing on British sourcing wherever possible.
“We have also improved our seasonal fresh offer in time for summer. For example, adding our BBQ smoked chilli pulled pork and BBQ sweet chilli chicken thighs give customers meat cuts and flavours that are perfect for the barbeque. We are on track to deliver all of our planned quality improvements.”