Sainsbury’s to publish price cut data if Asda merger goes ahead

Supermarkets 'happy to be held to account' on reducing prices by 1bn

Sainsbury's has promised to publish an annual breakdown of the 1bn-worth of price cuts it has promised shoppers if it merges with Asda, as it scrambles to reverse the competition watchdog's opposition to the 7bn deal.

Many analysts think the tie-up between Sainsbury's and Asda, the UK's second and third largest supermarket chains respectively, is doomed after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned last month that the tie-up threatened to push up prices and reduce the choice and quality of products on sale.