UK retailer Waitrose has announced that it is reducing the price of 97 female sanitary products to cover the country's so-called 'tampon tax'.
The price-cuts apply to branded and private label SKUs, both online and in-store. At 5%, the reduction covers the cost of the value-added tax that is currently applied to sanitary products by the UK government.
The retailer said that it had already committed to passing on VAT savings to customers after David Cameron’s government proposed plans to remove the ‘tampon tax’ come into effect.
“By covering the VAT cost and reducing the price by five per cent, we are confident it will make a difference to our customers,” said Michael Andrews, Waitrose's director of buying for general merchandise.
Retail Response
At the end of July, Tesco became the first UK retailer to take action on the 'tampon tax', reducing the price of nearly 100 private label and branded feminine hygiene products by 5%.
“For many of our customers, tampons, panty liners and sanitary towels are essential products," said Michelle McEttrick, Tesco group brand director. “However, the cost of buying them every month can add up, and for many women and girls it can be a real struggle on top of other essential items."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
