Grocer back issues from September 2007:
"If Morrisons has failed to act quickly enough, it won't have done itself any favours".(Morrisons)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Just how many warnings does a retailer need? Morrisons could now face criminal prosecution for the Scottish E.coli outbreak. On the one hand, it's easy to sympathise. There's been a huge increase in the number of food scares in the past couple of years and with consumers as ...
The vegetarian voice is growing stronger--and the big suppliers are jumping.(THIS WEEK'S HOT TOPIC)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Who would have thought it--the veggie voice is becoming evermore vociferous and the industry seems to be running scared. Maybe it was facing the possibility of a vegetarian outcry that prompted Walkers to reformulate a flavour of crisps so that it was vegetarian-friendly--before ...
E.coli prosecution threat.(Morrisons)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Morrisons could yet face criminal charges over an E.coli outbreak linked to one of its stores in Scotland, which left a 66-year-old woman dead and eight others ill. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The retailer is waiting on the results of a police report into the matter for ...
Walkers rushes to pull animal rennet from new snacks line.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... In what could be the quickest product reformulation in history, crisps giant Walkers has pledged to change one of the recipes for its new wholegrain SunBites snacks range before it has even hit the shelves. Although two flavours are vegetarian-friendly, one--Oven Roasted Onion & ...
Asda chats about NPD on Facebook.(ASDA Group Ltd.)
Sep 01, 2007 ... It may have banned its staff from using it, but Asda is preparing to make full use of social networking website Facebook as part of its marketing mix, we can reveal. Asda plans to set up a page for its development chef, Neil Nugent, who will tell customers visiting the site ...
Shopper concerns over origin slumps.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Millions have been spent in recent years on a multitude of labelling schemes and promotional campaigns designed to boost sales of home-sourced produce. But if the latest research is to be believed it could all have been a waste of time and money. A survey carried out ...
15 plastic bags ... for 32 items.(news)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Asda and Sainsbury's have come under attack from green groups over their excessive use of plastic bags in home deliveries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Environmentalists have accused the chains of ushag an unnecessarily large number of bags after The Grocer 33's latest ...
Ready meals still rule in UK households.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... So much for the domestic culinary revolution--research reveals that ready meals still rule in UK homes. A report from Mintel shows that the UK remains Europe's largest market for ready meals, with sales reaching the 2bn [pounds sterling] mark, a total that is likely to grow 25% ...
Martin McColl tipped to seize Smile Stores.(Smile Stores)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The purchase of T&A Symonds by wholesaler Palmer & Harvey McLane has prompted fevered speculation over the future of retail chain Smile Stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The P&H deal, revealed by The Grocer last month, included T&A's wholesale business, but not its ...
Aldi slashes prices over 15% of range.(news)(ALDI Foods)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... German discounter Aldi has launched a price-cutting campaign in a bid to poach customers from Tesco and Asda. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Joining the much-publicised price wars between the UK's big two, it has slashed prices across 130 lines--15% of its core grocery ...
Closer to a deal.(contracts of J Sainsbury PLC and Delta Two )(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Sainsbury's is believed to be closer to agreeing to open its books to bidder Delta Two after ...
Sunday lobbying.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Asda is to lobby the government again over the relaxation of Sunday ...
Slave labour slur.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Supermarkets caught up in a price war over school uniforms have been accused of fuelling slave labour by ActionAid. It claimed retailers were ...
Tesco may have to remove extension.(Tesco PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Tesco has become embroiled in another embarrassing planning battle just weeks before the Competition Commission publishes the provisional findings of its groceries inquiry. An extension to the Bury St Edmunds store may have to be pulled down after St Edmundsbury Council refused ...
Nanny the vulnerable, urges APPG.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The food and drink industry needs to face up to its responsibilities towards people who suffer from problems such as eating disorders and alcoholism, according to MPs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Corporate Responsibility has called for ...
Power crisis plan strips food from the vital list.(Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Fifty food companies currently considered "vital" in the event of a power crisis are set to lose that status under government plans. In a shake-up of the contingency plan in place to deal with an electrical supply emergency, the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory ...
J&J Haslett (and the Maceys) drive healthy eating message.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Northern Ireland symbol operator J&J Haslett is to put healthy eating at the core of its business model as part of a long-term strategy designed to improve the wellbeing of people living in the province. The initiative will include a new approach to markethag the Mace brand, ...
MSYS targets schools with competition.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The My Shop Is Your Shop campaign is putting up more than 2,500 [pounds sterling] in cash prizes in a promotion designed to increase school trade for independents. Create a Character challenges schoolchildren to invent a colourful cartoon character to be used as the MSYS ...
Our Kitchen doubles lines.(Budgens Ltd.)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Budgens has more than doubled its new premium range, Our Kitchen. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company has added 50 new products to the original 43, launched last month, inducting Soft Queen pineapple rings and Organic Madagascan vanilla ice cream. More lines win be ...
Irish blast UK chains for levels of imports.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... On home soil, UK supermarket chains are often lambasted for not selling enough British produce. But across the Irish Sea they have come under fire for selling too much of it. ISME, a trade body for small and medium-sized Irish businesses, has criticised the number of "empty ...
Ex-Londis directors in fascia row.(Londis ADM)
Sep 01, 2007 ... ADM Londis, which operates the Londis fascia in the Irish Republic, is to take legal action against two former directors who have quit the company and switched their stores to a rival fascia. Former directors Sean Donovan and Dominic Duffy have signed up to the SuperValu and ...
ACS hits out over 'dodgy offies' slur.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Association of Convenience Stores has hit out at the home secretary's claim "dodgy off-licences" are fuelling underage drinking. The comments by Jacqui Smith on BBC Radio 4's Today would be considered offensive by thousands of responsible retailers working hard to prevent ...
First Czech Express.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Tesco has opened its first Express format store in the Czech Republic. The 300 sq m store in Prague offers 2,800 ...
Anti-smoking drive.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Health secretary Alan Johnson has unveiled 15 graphic images that will be placed ...
Savlon scare.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Thousands of tubes of Savlon were removed from store shelves this week after a group ...
Own label awards '08 open for entry.(news)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Grocer Own Label Excellence Awards, which recognise the most outstanding own-label products, are open for 2008 entries. Any new or existing product that is already on shelf is eligible for entry. They will be judged on taste, appearance, packaging, content, value for money ...
Lib Dem alliance calls for creation of Ofshop.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... MPs and lobby groups have renewed calls for the introduction of a watchdog with legal powers to keep big supermarket chains in line. In a submission to the Competition Commission's groceries inquiry, the Cutting Edge Remedies Group, brought together by Lib Dem Andrew George MP, ...
Makro boosts Polish ranges.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Cash and carry operator Makro is launching a range of Polish products in stores based in areas with established Polish communities. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From this week, 18 depots across the country will be selling 100 Polish lines, including Tsykie and Lech beer, ...
Try something new at Harrods ...(Harrods)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The creative brains behind Sainsbury's Try Something New Today rebranding have developed two new superpremium food ranges for Harrods. The Harrods Food Hall and Opulence Collections, comprising 250 lines, were designed by Honey Creative, a boutique agency run by Doug James and Matt ...
FDF launches web guide to lunchbox.(news)(raisingkids.co.uk)(healthylunchbox. co.uk)(Food and Drink Federation)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Food and Drink Federation has relaunched a website aimed at parents after a survey showed many were straggling to provide healthy lunches for their children. The survey of 1,300 parents, carried out by the FDF in association with raisingkids.co.uk, indicated that 23% felt ...
Pre-pay card spies on spend at rival chains.(MasterCard International Inc.)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Retailers will soon get the chance to spy on their customers' spending habits in rival stores. A new pre-paid payment card, about to go on sale in supermarkets for the first time, offers retailers access to the full usage details of every card they sell. Advance ...
Southern rolls out deli concession.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Southern Cooperatives is to expand an in-store tie-up with specialist retailer The Hampshire Delicatessen to four further supermarkets. The independent deli already has a concession in Southern Co-op's Wickham store, set up 18 months ago after the lease ran out on its high ...
Spar drives image in women's mags.(news)(magazines)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Spar is launching a new consumer press campaign to promote its own label range and fresh credentials. The retail group plans to spend 300,000 [pounds sterling] on the campaign, which will feature in women's magazines such as Good Housekeeping, She, Easy Living and Prima. ...
Woolworths eyes Coles' Kmart.(WORLD NEWS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SYDNEY: Australian grocery chain Woolworths could make a bid for rival retailer Coles' non-supermarket assets. Chief executive Michael Luscombe said the company was "keeping its options open" as he announced a 28% rise in full-year profit after tax to A$1.29bn (870m [pounds sterling]) ....
Whole Foods secures Wild Oats.(WORLD NEWS)(merging of Whole Foods Market Inc. and Wild Oats Markets Inc.)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... AUSTIN, TEXAS: Whole Foods Market has finally completed its $565m (281m [pounds sterling]) acquisition of rival chain Wild Outs Markets. The deal was delayed for months as US ...
Farmers call for stores to reopen.(Reliance)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... LUCKNOW, INDIA: Hundreds of formers gathered to call for 10 Western-style supermarkets owned by Reliance to be re-opened on Tuesday. Chief minister Mayawati of Uttar Pradesh closed the stores last week after protests from traders, who said efforts to modernise India's fragmented retail ...
P&G sues Kraft over coffee container.(WORLD NEWS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... CINCINNATI, OHIO: Procter & Gamble is suing Kraft Foods over a new plastic container for Kroft's Maxwell House coffee. P&G claims it infringes patents for its Folgers coffee container introduced in 2003. "We made large investments to overcome the technical ...
Cadbury gets Intergum approval.(WORLD NEWS)(Cadbury Schweppes PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... ISTANBUL: Cadbury Schweppes has been granted regulatory approval by Turkey's competition watchdog for its acquisition of gum manufacturer Intergum. The approval is conditional on the licensing to a third party of one of Cadbury Schweppes' existing Turkish gum brands, Nazar, which had a ...
McQueen retail MD.(Appointment of Hughes, Jane)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Jane Hughes has been appointed MD of corporate finance advisory firm McQueen's retail industry practice. She previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers' retail banking ...
New Wal-Mart tier.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Wal-Mart Stores is to create new middle-management jobs to evaluate new store formats and opportunities in the US under the leadership of former Tesco executive David Wild. The retailer is looking for senior directors to develop a "comprehensive multi-format growth strategy" and ...
SCA strategist.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SCA has appointed Christoph Michalski senior vice president of business development and strategic planning. He succeeds Thomas Wulkan, who has become president for SCA Americas. The group ...
Spring enterprise.(appointment of Sally Stanley at Scottish Enterprise Toyside)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Sally Stanley, marketing director of Highland Spring, has joined the board of Scottish Enterprise Toyside, which aims to encourage economic ...
Three big hitters head Sainsbury's c-store ops.(movers & shakers)(appointments of Paul Marshall, Brendan Glynn and Kevin Plant at J Sainsbury PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Sainsbury's has appointed three regional MDs in the latest phase of its convenience operation restructure. Sainsbury's head of convenience Lawrence Christensen announced in May that the Jacksons and Bells operations were to be integrated with the rest of the convenience ...
Parfetts' man in Sheffield.(movers & shakers)(appointment of Bill Knight at Parfetts Cash and Carry)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Parfetts Cash & Carry has appointed Bill Knight as ambient buyer at its Sheffield depot. He will be responsible for household goods, medicines, biscuits and tobacco products for the depot. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Knight previously worked in a ...
New trio on board Yoplait brand team.(movers & shakers)(Hayley Roth )(Caroline Segalen )(Steffen Schacht )(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Yoplait has boosted its marketing team with three new members who will look after its leading brands. Hayley Roth has taken on the role of senior brand manager for Weight Watchers chilled yogurts and desserts, Caroline Segalen joins as Yap brand manager and Steffen Schacht ...
Eastbourne's shining example: the seaside town has welcomed the transformation of a Morrisons store to a Waitrose, says manager Duncan Waller, who claims local shoppers had been waiting for the chain's arrival.(the grocer 33)(Waitrose Ltd)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Although this summer is likely to be remembered as a washout, stores located in English seaside resorts aren't letting it dampen their spirits, with Morrisons in Southend-on-Sea scooping the award in the previous issue and Waitrose on Eastbourne's 'Sunshine Coast' picking up the prize this ...
Q&A with Duncan Waller: store manager of the week.(the grocer 33)(Interview)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Being located in a seaside town must hove been miserable this summer? Luckily Eastbourne sees the mast sunshine in the UK--so says a sign on the outskirts of town! The hills of the South Downs that surround the town create a micro-climate and we seem to have escaped the worst of ...
This week a year ago the winner was ...(the grocer 33)
Sep 01, 2007 ... On 2 September last year the Morrisons store in Stratford-upon-Avon scooped the Top Store award. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paul Chapman was store manager at the time but has since departed to run Morrisons' Binley store in Coventry. Current manager Satnam ...
Service champs.(the grocer 33)
Sep 01, 2007 ... <Pre> SERVICE CHAMPS Weekly winners since 16 June 2007 Morrisons 4 ...
Price survey.(the grocer 33)(ASDA Group Ltd., Morrisons and Tesco PLC.)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Despite a raft of price hikes, Asda has managed to extend its run of cheapest retailer to a fourth consecutive week. Asda's 59.10 [pounds sterling] basket total is a significant 1.56 [pounds sterling] less than the next-cheapest retailer Morrisons. Asda provided the ...
Availability.(the grocer 33)(SOMERFIELD)(MORRISONS)(ASDA Gosforth)(supermarkets's management)
Sep 01, 2007 ... * ASDA Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne 1 OUT OF STOCK Aside from a few packing trolleys being unloaded in various aisles, the store was tidy and well presented. The staff were helpful but our Newcastle shopper was charged full price for the Cadbury Dairy Milk rather ...
Top-up shop.(the grocer 33)(a look at some supermarkets)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Who we visited CO-OP Crawley, West Sussex LONDIS Dinnington, Northumberland ONE STOP Bridgend, Glamorgon SPAR Timperley, Cheshire TESCO EXPRESS Chalk Form Road, North London How they performed Located in a ...
Online arms deliver bags of improvement: from fewer plastic bags to better delivery times, the latest The Grocer 33 Online reveals major improvement to service.(the grocer 33 online)(Survey)
Sep 01, 2007; ... With faster delivery times, fewer carrier bags and most delivering almost the full complement of 33 items, the standard of online grocery retailing has improved to such a degree it was difficult to identify an outright winner in the latest The Grocer 33 Online survey. Ocado's ...
Bag watch.
Sep 01, 2007 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * BAG WATCH: The eco message is only slowly getting through as the retailers used a total of 48 bags in the ...
Tesco.(STAR ORDER)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Ordered: 22.08.07 Delivered: 25.08.07 Time taken online: 30 mins Location: Brighton Number of items delivered: 32 Out of stocks: 0 Substitutions: 1 Delivery charge: 5.99 [pounds sterling] Total ...
Dairylea dominates the aisles with promotions: Dairylea has maintained last year's massive lead over Cathedral City with 70% of all activity in the cheese category at the weekend.(promotrack)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Kraft's Dairylea is romping ahead in the cheese category chart, taking a whopping 70% of featured space promotional activity for the category last weekend--59 percentage points clear of its closest rival Cathedral City. The brand's offers included its Lunchables and Dunkers ...
Stop wasting marketing spend. Learn to drive sales.(SATURDAY ESSAY)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Marketing spend can be deployed a lot more effectively if companies analyse return on investment thoroughly and ensure sales teams follow the most effective strategies Lord Leverhulme, the founder of Lever Bros, famously remarked: "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted ...
What the papers said.(comment)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Mail Tesco is adding thousands of new products to its Tesco Direct website. According to the Mail on Sunday, the retailer is increasing pressure on rivals such as Argos by launching a new 1,000-page catalogue next month. Products will include specialist items following the ...
Tesco's 16% fall is not justified.(SECOND OPINION)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The stockmarket is now valuing Tesco as an average company. It is anything but. So why has its share price fallen 16% in recent months? In these troubled times for the stock market it's surprising that the industry bellwether, Tesco, has struggled more than the average company ....
Give greater certainty to suppliers.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Kevin Hawkins (The Grocer, Second Opinion, 25 August, p21) seeks to obfuscate the issues in any review of supermarket behaviour, and particularly whether behaviours are compliant with, or at least match the spirit of the Supermarkets Code of Practice. But what he fails to ...
Consumers not the ultimate winners.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SIR; If nothing else, the recent announcement that the Competition Commission has subpoenaed supermarkets for more information about their dealings with suppliers indicates that we are reaching a critical point in the grocery market inquiry. We welcome this move by the ...
British farmers have a chance to benefit.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SIR; Setting the record straight and correcting some of the most common misconceptions about food prices is vital for a farming community that is feeling the effects of years of a cheap food culture. Farmers know all too well that, despite being part of the same supply chain, ...
Don't assume every label is understood.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SIR; Your coverage of what you term the "surfeit of food labels" made an underlying assumption that all consumers should be expected to be aware of all food labels and what they represent in terms of underlying standards (Hot Topic, The Grocer, 18 August, p3). In reality, ...
We buck the trend of cheap meat imports.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SIR; In response to media coverage regarding Zebu meat, and uncertainty over the labelling of imported meat, we are "proud to be different" and are challenging our competitors to stand up and be counted. Since we started seven years ago, we have stuck to the original standards ...
Escaping the trops of trade investment: in part two of our investigation into trade investment practice, Stefan Chomka looks at how suppliers can unlock the benefits.(analysis)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Allegations of unreasonable retrospective pricing by Asda and Tesco have brought trade promotion practices back into the spotlight, yet fear of reprisals means suppliers are unlikely to complain publicly. A new survey from Grant Thornton shows how impotent suppliers feel. It ...