SUPERMARKETS are slashing school uniform prices as local schools cut costs by joining a local co-operative.

Parents in East Lancashire have more choice than ever before with generic school uniform items being used in supermarket wars.

Now even uniforms with logos are available for less with schools joining the community initiative Mums the Word.

The Blackburn not-for-profit group offers both re-wear and new school uniforms.

Items at their Darwen Street shop even include local school logos after three primary schools, Darwen St James, Lower Darwen St James and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Blackburn gave permission.

It could see logo’d school uniforms provided to parents wholesale for at least a third cheaper.

It comes after budget supermarket Aldi made the headlines by providing an entire back to school outfit for £4 with other supermarkets offering generic primary-style uniforms in the £5 to £7 range for two polo shirts, a sweater and a pair of trousers or skirt.

However traditional suppliers have been hailed as providing better quality.

In an independent survey High Street Testing found Clitheroe firm Trutex outperformed four anonymous supermarket brands with uniforms “less likely to shrink, tear or stretch”. Caroline Fotios at Mum’s the Word said sometimes parents are happy to sacrifice quality for the sake of newness for that first day.

She said: “A lot of parents really want that brand new uniform for the first day. After that they are happy to replace it with rewear items but it depends on the parent. Some of our parents are focused on cost, others believe in rewear for environmental reasons.

“Generic items can be cheap – it’s the items with logos where parents really see the costs mount. Some schools have given us permission to use logos and we are keen to work with more.”

Matthew Easter, managing director of Trutex, said: “A uniform needs to be able to stand up to the rigours of everyday school life. It’s easy to be tempted to buy the cheap clothes in supermarkets. These tests show it’s a false economy.”