Asda has introduced 'refill areas' at its Milton Keynes supercentre as it continues its drive to reduce plastic and help customers shop more sustainably.
The store will stock over 70 branded and own-brand products in the dedicated refill zones, as well as within specific aisles.
Refill Zone
The loose and unpackaged range includes branded items such as Taylor’s of Harrogate coffee, Kellogg’s cereals, and Tilda rice, as well as an extensive range of Asda-brand cereals, rice, and pasta.
All refill products are sold at the same price or cheaper than packaged equivalents as part of the supermarket’s Greener at Asda Price promise campaign.
Customers can bring their own containers and purchase unpackaged products, or alternatively buy a reusable container in store and use it instead.
The refill areas in Milton Keynes are part of the supermarket’s strategy to encourage customers to change their shopping habits and drive down plastic usage.
The refill products available in store include:
- Fifteen varieties of cereals including Kellogg’s Coco Pops, Cornflakes, Frosties, Crunchy Nut, as well as Asda own brand and Quaker Oats
- Original, Gold, Decaf and loose-leaf Yorkshire Tea as well as Taylors of Harrogate Espresso, Lazy Sunday, Rich Italian, Hot Lava Java, Decaf coffee beans
- Twelve different types of pasta such as Asda own brand fusilli and penne as well as Napolina macaroni, rigatoni, green pea fusilli and red lentil penne and also Asda own brand and Tilda rice
- Dry Mars pet food and treats for cats and dogs including Dreamies, Whiskas, Pedigree Mixer, and Chappie
- Proctor & Gamble’s Aussie, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and Herbal Essences in a refill bay
- Three Unilever bays – one health and beauty which includes Radox shower gel, Alberto Balsam, and Simple hand wash refills, and Persil laundry refill
- Soda Stream feature bay with nine flavours as well as a Brita water feature bay.
Sustainability
The Milton Keynes store is the fourth, following the launch of Asda's flagship store in Leeds last October and the recent openings in Toryglen, Glasgow and York, which is the largest refill supermarket in the country.
Asda’s use of refill is part of the its 'test and learn' approach as it works with customers and looks at a number of ways to make sustainable shopping as simple and accessible as possible.
Susan Thomas, director of commercial sustainability at Asda said, "Opening our fourth refill store is a big step for us as we continue to work with our customers to find out what steps they would like us to take to help them reduce their plastic use.
"We know that refill is a new way of shopping for customers and requires them to change their usual behaviour, but we have seen just like with self-service checkouts and the removal of single-use plastic bags, customers can and will adapt to significant changes in the shopping experience."
Thomas added, "Bringing in a large number of household brand will also provide familiarity and help encourage customers to adapt as we continue to look at innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle our packaging."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
