Superdrug has confirmed it is covering the cost of VAT on its Solait range for a second year in a bid to make suncare more accessible to consumers.
The beauty and health retailer has implemented a 20% reduction (the price of VAT) across its full range, totalling an investment of £1m.
Superdrug said it was covering the tax as it believes the category should be deemed a healthcare essential and not a beauty product.
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The retailer’s own brand director Jamie Archer said: “As a leading accessible health and beauty retailer, we believe that everyone should have access to the products that protect their health and wellbeing and at an affordable price. Therefore, we are proud to be able support our customers by removing 20% from our suncare range for a second year.”
“Sunscreen is currently classed as a cosmetic product and therefore carries the VAT associated with it, making it unaffordable for some people, so we are pleased to continue our commitment to our shoppers by making the category more accessible.
“Through our work with Beauty Banks we know that requests for donations of sun care products have risen, with some people even having to forego it altogether, which is concerning to hear. We hope that by reducing the price of our Solait range we can help make sun protection more affordable and allow families to stay safe in the sun.”
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