M&S cuts prices on 22 everyday veg lines as families shift towards healthier weekly shops

Marks & Spencer has cut the price of 19 vegetable staples and moved 22 everyday items into its value ranges, in a direct bid to win more family shoppers who want healthier food without paying more.

The move, announced as part of the retailer’s wider growth strategy, comes amid clear evidence that UK households are prioritising health in their weekly shop while remaining highly price-conscious.

Price cuts target everyday essentials in weekly shop

The retailer confirmed that more than 20 commonly bought vegetables have been added to its “Remarksable Value” and “Dropped and Locked” ranges, with prices reduced across 19 lines.

Products affected include staples such as chestnut mushrooms, sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbages and courgettes — items widely used in everyday meals.

The expansion brings the total number of products in the Remarksable Value range to more than 140, with the range designed to benchmark against competitor pricing while maintaining M&S sourcing standards.

Among the vegetables moving into the value range are:

Sweetheart cabbage, Brussels sprouts (500g), red chillies, mixed chillies, chestnut mushrooms (300g), carrots (500g), Tenderstem broccoli (200g), leeks (600g), garlic (3-pack), ginger, white cabbage, sweet potatoes, red cabbage and courgettes.

Additional items entering the “Dropped and Locked” pricing range include Tenderstem tips, organic garlic, portobello mushrooms, bird eye chilli, organic leeks, finger chilli and Santini tomatoes.

Health and value driving major shift in shopping habits

The pricing changes reflect a broader shift in consumer behaviour, with data showing a growing demand for healthier diets that remain affordable.

According to Kokoro Insights, consumers in 2026 are increasingly trying to balance nutrition and cost in their weekly food shop, rather than prioritising one over the other.

Research cited by M&S shows:

• 71% of UK consumers are actively trying to include a wide variety of plant ingredients in their diet

• 73% aim to include vegetables and pulses in evening meals

Customers also consistently rank quality and freshness as the most important factors when defining “healthy” food.

Tom Berry, Director at Kokoro Insights, said:

“In 2026 we are seeing consumers look to prioritise both their health and value for money when it comes to their weekly food shop, without compromising on either. Brands that make it affordable to live a healthy lifestyle are the ones that win in this environment.”

M&S targets family shoppers as food business expands

The price investment is part of a wider push by M&S to grow its food business and attract more families to shop regularly in-store.

The retailer said it has already seen a significant increase in household penetration, with over 920,000 more households shopping in M&S Food over the latest 12-week period compared to the previous year.

This follows earlier price investments in staple items such as beef mince in January.

Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of Food at M&S, said:

“Families want to eat well without paying more, and vegetables are at the heart of the weekly shop. By lowering prices on everyday veg staples, we’re making it easier for more families to shop M&S as part of their weekly shop as we double the size of M&S Food.”

Perceptions of value among families have also improved, rising by 10 percentage points over the past two years, with households now more likely than ever to consider shopping at M&S Food.

Focus on quality and sourcing remains central

Despite the price cuts, M&S said it is maintaining its emphasis on quality and sourcing standards, which it positions as a key differentiator.

The retailer works with more than 1,000 Select Farm growers across the UK, supplying fruit and vegetables that include exclusive lines such as Isle of Wight tomatoes and early seasonal produce like British asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes.

It also highlighted that some of its produce exceeds market norms in size and specification — for example, its cauliflower is 20% larger than the market average, while key lines such as chestnut mushrooms are entirely British-grown.

Looking ahead, M&S has set a target that by 2030 all fresh British products sold in its stores will come from farms using regenerative agricultural practices.

Strategic push reflects competitive grocery landscape

The expansion of value pricing into fresh produce signals a shift in how premium retailers are competing in the current grocery market.

With shoppers increasingly focused on both cost and nutrition, supermarkets are under pressure to deliver affordable healthy options without eroding quality — a balance that is becoming central to weekly shopping decisions.

M&S’s latest move positions vegetables — long seen as the foundation of healthy eating — at the centre of that strategy, as it attempts to convert more occasional shoppers into regular weekly customers.

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At a glance

• M&S has cut prices on 19 vegetable products and added 22 items to value ranges

• Staples affected include mushrooms, carrots, leeks, cabbage and courgettes

• Remarksable Value range now includes over 140 products

• 71% of consumers are trying to eat a wider variety of plant-based foods

• 73% aim to include vegetables in evening meals

• Over 920,000 additional households shopped at M&S Food in the latest 12 weeks

• Family perception of value at M&S has risen by 10 percentage points in two years

• M&S works with over 1,000 UK growers for fresh produce

• Target set for all British produce to be from regenerative farms by 2030