John Lewis is to launch a low-priced ‘Value’ range this week in a bid to compete with the non-food ranges of the supermarkets.

The move marks the first time the department store retailer has launched a low-cost product range.

John Lewis Value will comprise 100 lines of homewares products initially, and will then double in size next year when it adds basic fashion lines, such as pants and socks, to the range.

Prices will be markedly lower than John Lewis’s current prices. For example, a box of four Value wine glasses will cost £4 compared with £2.25 each at existing prices. Towels will range from £1.50 to £5, and two pillows will cost £4.

The move is part of a wider campaign to emphasise its low-cost credentials. A marketing campaign will launch next month to explain what its strapline Never Knowingly Undersold stands for.

The retailer will also change all of its point-of-sale information in stores and packaging to emphasise its low prices.

Gill Little, John Lewis’s merchandise and marketing director, told the Sunday Telegraph the Value range will be “benchmarked” against Tesco’s standard own-brand range, rather than the supermarket’s own value lines.