Aldi is urging more supermarkets to follow its lead by making free period products available in their store toilets.

It is backing the call from its charity partner Freedom4Girls to other supermarkets to make products free where facilities allow.

Last year Aldi became the first UK supermarket to offer free period products in all its customer and staff toilets. Since then, it has provided one million free period products through the scheme.

The call comes as an Aldi commissioned survey of 2,000 shoppers found that more than two in three believe supermarkets should provide free pads and tampons in customer toilets. The same proportion said they would be more likely to view a supermarket positively if it offered the services.

Three in four shoppers believe period products should be treated as everyday bathroom essentials, just like toilet paper and soap.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, and Freedom4Girls founder Tina Leslie have jointly written to the chief executives of all major UK supermarkets calling them to offer the products in toilets for free.

“Access to period products should be a basic right, not a privilege,” said Ashfield.

“That is why we made free period products available in our store toilets for customers and colleagues, with no questions asked,”

She added that its free period product initiative “is a simple, practical step that could make a real difference to customers and colleagues across the country. These products are essential, and we believe making them freely available is the right thing to do”.

Leslie added: “Providing free period products in supermarket toilets is a practical way to help people access what they need discreetly and with dignity. We would welcome more retailers taking similar action to help tackle stigma, affordability and access.”

Aldi’s in-store provision us part of a wider commitment to tackling period poverty. It has donated one million products through partnerships with charities including Freedom4Girls.

Customers can also donate period products through Aldi’s in-store donation points, with items distributed to food banks and charitable organisations via its community partner Neighbourly.

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