LOCAL supermarkets are locked in a price battle over one of the nation's favourite foods - baked beans!

Kwik Save slashed the price of their standard size tin to 3p, a month (April) ago. Now Asda and Tesco have followed suit. Only Morrisons are refusing to be drawn into the battle.

And it's going down a treat with bargain-conscious customers who are snapping up tins as fast as staff can stack them on the shelves.

Kwik Save spokesman, Nick Goss, said it was difficult to keep up with demand for their No Frills-branded product. "We have had to ration customers to five tins per visit and even then there are still problems. We are desperately trying keep customers happy," he said.

Tesco is selling its own-brand Value beans for 3p, and has resorted to limiting the number of tins on the shelves at any one time.

Blackburn superstore manager Peter Cunningham said: "We are keeping a regular flow throughout the day to counteract the problem of people buying up all the stock first thing in the morning - and to stop caterers buying trolley loads. Customers are allowed four tins a visit"

Asda are offering the best allowance for their offer - 3p Princes beans - with a seven tin limit per visit.

Store grocery manager Louise Swift said: "Our local competitors started the bean war so we joined in three weeks ago (April) and our sales have more than tripled."

Morrisons marketing director Chris Blundell said: "We want customers to notice the price of their overall weekly shopping, not just one product. Three pence doesn't even pay for the tin, never mind the beans. Business is fine without getting sucked into promotions like this."

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