28 August 2023 , 09:50
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Waitrose and John Lewis have cut the price of period pants across all of their stores following M&S and Tesco in covering the VAT costs.
The retail group says it will reduce the price of 30 types of period underwear by 20% in its stores from next week. John Lewis said it was "the right thing to do" saying the move was aimed at providing "a much-needed boost for customers looking for ways to save on essential sanitary products". The move will see a pair of Love Luna Period Proof Full Briefs, retailing at £10 - cost just £8.33.
Period knickers are absorbent underwear designed to be worn as an alternative to tampons and sanitary towels and they have become more popular over the last 20 years, with major brands including Sainsbury's, Primark and Next now stocking them. The cost for period knickers can usually range from around £8 to even as high as £50.
Last week Tesco announced it was cutting the cost of its F&F period pants by covering the 20% VAT added to them as they are classed as "garments". Other period products such as pads and tampons have been exempt from VAT since 2021. The move reduced a three-pack of pants from £18 to £14.40 and a single pack from £7.50 to £6.
Nicki Baggott, sanitary products buyer for Waitrose, said: “It’s a no-brainer that period underwear should be classed as a period product. It’s the right thing to do, and will help our customers save money on everyday essentials.”
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M&S was the first chain to cover the cost of VAT on the period products as it recently launched the "Say Pants to the Tax" campaign with the period underwear brand Wuka. M&S and Wuka calculated that their customers combined had paid more than £3million in VAT on period pants.
An open letter to the Government asking for the tax to be scrapped has been signed by 35 MPs and peers, the chief executives of M&S and Ocado, Tesco, the publisher of Hello! magazine and several charities and non-profit organisations, including Breast Cancer Now, the Marine Conservation Society and Forum for the Future. Campaigners have also set up a petition for members of the public to show their support.
HM Treasury spokesperson told the Mirror: "We are committed to making sanitary products affordable and available to all who need them. That is why we have delivered on our promise to scrap the tampon tax so that VAT is no longer charged on sanitary products, such as pads, tampons and reusable menstrual products such as menstrual cups. We have also rolled out free sanitary products in schools, colleges and hospitals to continue our fight to end period poverty once and for all.