SUPERVALU HAS CONFIRMED that it will be reducing the price of its own-brand milk following similar reductions by a number of other Irish supermarket chains in recent days.

In a statement to The Journal, SuperValu said that it has reduced the price of its 2-litre milk bottles to €2.35, with pro-rata reductions now in place across all of the retailer’s own-brand milk.

“We continue to invest heavily in our own-brand range, which now includes over 5,000 products, ongoing promotions of over 2,000 products and rewarding loyalty through vouchers and coupons so as to deliver great value to customers,” a spokesperson said.

The move follows similar announcements by Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. 

Lidl was the first to announce the move on Friday, claiming it was the first major retailer to cut milk prices since 2023.

The price of a 2-litre carton of milk was reduced from €2.45 to €2.35, while the cost of a 3-litre was reduced from €3.55 to €3.39.

The decision prompted an almost immediate response from Aldi, who now offer savings between 3c and 16c on their own-brand milk as of yesterday.

Tesco followed suit, announcing price cuts on all of their branded milk.

The cost of a 2-litre carton of milk in all four supermarket chains is now €2.35.

Milk prices have been climbing steadily in recent years, in line with wider food inflation that has hit consumers.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that food and drink prices rose by 4.7% in September compared to the same month last year, well above the general inflation rate of 2.7%.

According to the CSO, the average cost of a two-litre carton of milk is now €2.47, up 27c since last year.

Retailers have faced growing criticism over the sustained increases, which Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald highlighted earlier this year when she told the Dáil that a litre of milk was costing more than a litre of petrol in some shops.

The recent price cuts from retailers come amid a period of strong global milk supply, which has already seen co-ops reduce what they pay farmers per litre.

According to reports, global milk production has increased by around 1% so far this year, adding an estimated 1.62 billion litres to the market.

In separate statements, Lidl and Aldi also both signalled wider cuts on everyday essentials, seemingly a challenge to traditional players like Tesco, Dunnes Stores and SuperValu, which still dominate the market but are facing growing pressure from the discount chains’ expanding share.

The latest Worldpanel polling suggests that Lidl and Aldi together hold just over a quarter of the market share (14.2% and 11.6% respectively), while SuperValu (19.5%), Tesco (23.7%) and Dunnes (23.9%) remain the bigger players.

Dunnes Stores have been contacted for comment.