Aldi customers with children will now be able to apply for vouchers to help them cover ‘back-to-school’ costs like packed lunches and new shoes.

The move comes as the budget supermarket launches a new fund to support families who are struggling to cover costs at the start of the academic year.

As part of the Fund, the supermarket is giving away £100 Aldi vouchers to parents throughout the month of September to help out with the costs of everyday essentials following the back-to-school period.

The supermarket also said it would donate £20,000 to good causes focused on supporting children, including schools and nurseries through its community giving platform Neighbourly.

According to research from the retailer, parents spend just over £100 per child during the back-to-school period.

The Aldi study found that a further £23 a week on average is spent throughout the school year on packed lunches, while £90 is spent on after school clubs or extra-curricular activities, found the Aldi study.

“We know the back-to-school period can be a real pinch point for family finances, especially after having to contend with keeping the kids entertained during the summer school holidays,” said Liz Fox, national sustainability director, Aldi UK. “As the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket, we’re committed to doing whatever we can to support parents in making their money go further and that’s why we’re giving parents an extra helping hand via our Back-to-School Fund this September.”

Speaking about how, despite strong July retail sales and optimism from rate cuts, families will still be mindful of their budgets for the impending school term, Matt Pavich, senior director of strategy and innovation at retail software company Revionics said: "Regardless of how it is defined, consumers are looking for value even if the impacts of inflation are less pronounced. As consumers look for value, they are increasingly less loyal to individual retailers and open to finding value anywhere, as downtrading trends have proven.”

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