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Transform Your Trolley into a Style Statement

August 09, 2025

Transform Your Trolley into a Style Statement

Judi Prue | Read in about 12 minutes

Hello,

This weekend’s The Weekend Read Blog is one for the supermarket trolley dashers and secret style magpies among us. You know the type, you pop in to the supermarket for milk and bananas and somehow leave with a linen blazer and a polka-dot jumpsuit (and yes, you will wear both). Supermarket fashion has quietly crept from the end-of-aisle afterthought to a full-blown style destination.

Today, supermarket-owned labels like George at Asda, M&S’s Autograph and Per Una, Tesco’s F&F, Sainsbury’s Tu, and Morrisons’ Nutmeg often rival popular high-street names. They have become staples in many wardrobes, appreciated for their style, affordability, inclusivity and flexibility.

So, how did the humble food shop become a style runway in disguise? This week, we're unpacking the rise of British supermarket fashion, where it started, who’s behind those surprisingly chic pieces, and why so many of us are slipping a little something stylish into the trolley with the tinned tomatoes.

The Early Arrivals – Who Are They and When Did They Arrive

One of the first supermarket fashion brands to arrive was George at Asda, launched back in 1989 by George Davies. This was a new concept for shoppers. George, famous for founding Next brought the high-street retail experience to the supermarket grocery audience. The brand took off as a concept with shoppers who could combine food shopping with clothes shopping. Even though Davis left Asda in 2000, George remains their signature label.

Tesco's F&F brand began in 2001 as an in-store clothing range called Florence & Fred, offering affordable menswear, womenswear, and kids' clothing in their UK and Ireland supermarkets. The brand, which was later abbreviated to F&F, and has grown to become a well-known, popular one, developing into a standalone brand that is also sold in other countries and online through its website.

Next to launch was Sainsbury’s Tu, founded in 2004, replacing the Jeff & Co line by designer and former TV presenter Jeff Banks. Tu relaunched in 2013 to enhance its non-food market presence, focusing just on clothing with a new logo and strapline 'Live Your Style'. They brought in a new in-house design team and introduced trend-led collections every six weeks.

Marks & Spencer, although technically a department store retailer rather than a traditional supermarket, still sits under the ‘Supermarket Fashion’ heading. M&S has sold clothes for almost a century, and are well known for their lingerie and kid's clothing. Unlike the other supermarkets, M&S has struggled over the last decade trying to appeal to both it's traditional, older shoppers and the newer, younger shoppers who want trend-led fashion.

Finally, the Morrisons’ Nutmeg range was launched in 2013, initially focusing on childrenswear, and later expanding to include menswear and a women's collection in 2017.

Designers Behind the Supermarket Labels & Brand Histories

A number of the most successful supermarket brands have benefited from using top designers to help launch their brands, so has this contributed towards their success?

George at Asda is synonymous with George Davies, who established the brand in 1989 with the ambition: “style for less” via a supermarket channel. Despite his departure in 2000, George flourished at Asda, expanding across hundreds of stores and online, becoming the UK’s second best‑selling style label and surpassing even Zara or M&S in volume at times

Tu at Sainsbury’s had a design relaunch in 2013 putting more emphasised on quality and 'trend-readiness' in their clothes. Working with celebrity stylist and TV presenter Gok Wan in 2011, Sainsbury’s used the celebrity-design angle early, which helped escalate the brand and when Sainbury’s brought Argos, it become the UK’s third‑largest online clothing retailer. Today Tu produces around 3,000 lines across 400 stores, and is a core fashion hub for many Sainsbury’s shoppers.

Tesco’s F&F is built around its in-house, trend-led design. The brand didn't use a celebrity or signature founder-designer like its peers. But collaborations such as the 2024 alliance with In The Style, have helped the brand. Designers like in-house Ben Lee have focused on improving fabric quality and longevity of its clothing brand while still keeping the price affordable and the styles current.

M&S labels, while not technically “supermarket”, they still count as supermarket led brand. Autograph and Per Una, along with luxury in-house lines, have benefited from high-profile designers such as Timothy Everest since 2000, and celebrity ambassadors including David Beckham have helped them reframe their image toward aspirational yet accessible British style. In Jine 2024, M&S appointed Callum Briggs a Head of Menswear having previously worked as Head of Design with Hugo Boss. Briggs has also worked with brands such as Reiss, Tom Ford, Belstaff and New Look.

Nutmeg at Morrisons remains the smallest scale fashion brand among the supermarkets and demand and purchase rates are much lower than its competitors.

The Supermarket Fashion Explosion and High-Street Disruption

In recent years, supermarket fashion has exploded in popularity, no longer just about basics but their style-led pieces often go viral online. Tesco's F&F clothing is often compared to Zara, yet priced more affordably at between £20–£30. Sainsbury's Tu brand has generated millions of TikTok views since it's launch and its popularity in magazines and broadcasts is increasing.

George has become the third‑largest clothing retailer in the UK, outperforming many high‑street chains. Fashion editors and influencers often share pride in shopping at George or Tu for style finds that look high-end without the price tag.

This rise is further fuelled by supermarkets offering accessible dupes of designer or high street styles. For example, Tesco’s F&F has become known for recreating the look of a £75 activewear set and selling it for just £26, via a Kate Ferdinand collaboration and similarly Sainsbury's released dresses under £15 that quickly sold out, thanks to flattering fit, fabric and price appeal.

Asda also opened its first standalone George store in Leeds in May 2025, a big step forward in its bid to extend beyond the supermarket into high‑street retail, with fashion, homeware, and a café experience all under one roof. Cosmetic collaborations with as Yasmin Le Bon fronting the George campaign, showed how Asda is trying to renew efforts to reposition the brand as both stylish and credible.

Which Supermarkets Are Winning and Why?

A recent YouGov poll in June 2025, found that George at Asda has the highest awareness amongst retail shoppers (88 %), with M&S labels close behind (87 %), followed by Tesco's F&F brand and Sainsbury's Tu at 78 %. Morrison’s Nutmeg collection sits way behind its supermarket competitors, only being considered by 30% of shoppers which is considerably lower.

And the sales data speaks for itself! In 2023, George generated £1.5  billion in sales. Tesco's F&F frequently sees items sell out quickly thanks to a number of factors including its collaborations and influencer appeal across social media. The success of the F&F range for Tesco has been its ability to deliver high‑fashion looks between £15–£20, dresses, tops, trousers, that feel like Zara or H&M but at half the price.

George at Asda’s marketing using celebrity models, variety of ranges (women’s, men’s, home wear and babies), and partnerships with designers and collaborators has helped the brand stay in a strong competitive position.

Sainsbury’s Tu puts it's success down to benefiting from distribution through both Sainsbury’s and Argos channels, massively increasing its reach and sales since it bought out the Argos brand in 2018.

How Supermarket Fashion Stays Competitive Today

There are a number of reasons why supermarket fashion brands can still stay competitive in the demanding world of fast fashion. These include:

Affordability plus style: These brands undercut high‑street prices dramatically. A trench coat from George might cost £38; Tu sells velvet blazers for £28; Known for their florals and knits, F&F regularly undercuts Zara or Mango with a similar aesthetic. Let’s face it, will all love a bargain!

Rapid trend response: Supermarket labels can pivot collections quickly in line with TikTok or high‑street trends. They can produce multiple drops per season, and restock frequently in stores and online. Even high‑street giants struggle to match that speed at such low price points.

Size and inclusivity: They typically offer mid size and plus size ranges (e.g. Tu up to size 22, F&F up to XXL), when a significant number of other online brands only cater for smaller sizes. These supermarket brands also cater across different ages appealing to both younger shoppers and the over‑55’s, who often are the customers for supermarket fashion.

Marketing and collaborations: Collaborations with top, well known designers and celebrity ambassadors like Gok Wan for Tu and Yasmin Le Bon for George, supermarkets are boosting fashion credibility beyond the grocery aisle.

Sustainability credentials: Many supermarket labels incorporate sustainable fabrics (e.g. Better Cotton Initiative), and offer durable styles designed to last, addressing fast fashion criticism and appealing to value and eco-conscious consumers too.

Key Takeaways & Future Directions

In 2025, supermarket fashion is no longer an afterthought to food shopping; it is a credible fashion destination with its own identity.

They are increasingly viewed as challengers to fast-fashion chains, with value-based shoppers discovering that supermarket labels can offer the same looks as high street brands but at a much lower price and often faster turnover. That said, they face growing competition from premium fast-fashion online platforms like Shein, Boohoo and ASOS and booming second‑hand markets such as Vinted - (read our Part 1 and Part 2 of our Fast Fashion blog here).

Looking forward, continued success for these supermarket brands will depend on:

Keeping up to date with design trends and reproducing those quickly with longevity ,but also improving sustainability.
Using celebrities, famous designers and social media influencers to push their brands.
Using pop-up stores or dedicated brand stores instead of just selling through.
Using a seamless omnichannel journey for the shopper across online and in-store shopping.

Supermarkets may well not dominate the fashion world like Zara or ASOS, but they are undeniably reshaping Britain’s retail fashion landscape.

The Psychological of Buying Clothes at the Supermarket?

While supermarkets are primarily known for grocers, the psychology behind why people buy clothes here is surprisingly complex. Does this sound like you?

Hidden in Plain Sight: Adding clothes to your food trolley feels discreet, especially if you’d rather not announce your fashion haul.

Less guilt: Paying for groceries softens the blow of overspending on fashion, especially those savvy shoppers who know they’re still paying less than high‑street equivalents.

Bargain validation: There’s a thrill in saying “this top only cost £7” when it looks high-end. It rewards thrift but delivers style.

Psychology of convenience : It feels practical, almost responsible. If you follow your shopping list but come away with a dress, it doesn’t feel like impulse buying, it feels like a bonus.

Budget‑style influencers (like #averagegirlsize Charlotte Clarke) and stylists repeatedly emphasise how supermarkets offer size inclusivity, accessibility and comfort that high‑street chains often lack.

Why Do People Still Trust the High Street?

Despite the value offered by supermarket labels, many shoppers still trust high-street names on style reputation and perceived quality. About 28% of those who avoid supermarket fashion say it’s down to concerns about style or how long clothes will last if they are cheaper.

For some shoppers, the experience of a fashion-specific store, tactile fabrics, or aspirational brand imagery still matters.

Please Cick Here to Vew The Latest Catalogue Of Supermarket Clothing

Final Thoughts: Is Supermarket Fashion For You?

Supermarket fashion isn’t just an add‑on anymore it’s become an integral way to shop for many people as the cost of living continues to rise. For style seeking-shoppers wanting value, convenience and trend‑led basics, labels like George, Tu, F&F and M&S offer an affordable, stylish and compelling alternative to mainstream fast fashion.

While they can match the speed and affordability of fast fashion, their inclusive sizing, surprising durability, and seamless presence in the weekly shop give them an edge. People may not visit supermarkets purely for fashion, but they are increasingly buying clothes alongside their groceries.

Enjoy your weekend! In next week's The Weekend Read, we will be looing at body challenges and how to dress them. This is for those of you who think your don't have the perfect body.

Best wishes,

Judi & Jenny xx