Grocer back issues from March 2008:
Opinion.(risk of eating junk foods)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... I know we're a nation of junk-food loving fatties whose idea of exercise extends no further than getting stuck into a bit of boxing on our Nintendo Wiis but do we really need to have the dangers of eating too much spelt out to us again? The Food Standards Agency is apparently ...
This week's hot topic: buyers are circling over the small, smart players. Get set for takeover action.(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... This week confectionery company Tangerine completed its purchase of Monkhill from Cadbury Schweppes and Swiss food company Hero bagged organic baby-food pioneer Organix Brands. Considering that last year you couldn't move for stories about private equity snapping up food and drink ...
Shock tactics on fat loom.(news)
Mar 01, 2008; ... The Food Standards Agency is considering using shock tactics to persuade people to cut down on consumption of saturated fat, The Grocer has learnt. It is also considering asking manufacturers of products high in saturated fat, such as butter and cheese, to put cigarette ...
Wheat planting in Britain gains pace as soaring demand pushes up prices.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... British farmers are increasing the amount of wheat they grow this year in a bid to meet soaring demand. Global wheat shortages have been blamed for sending food prices spiralling upwards. But pressure is expected to ease within months because farmers have planted 4% more wheat ...
Tesco upbeat over Fresh & Easy sales.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Tesco played down criticism of its 55-strong Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market chain this week, as it forged ahead with expansion of the business. The retailer revealed plans for stores in 19 new locations in the Sacramento region of California--as yet virgin territory for the ...
Commission calls for farmers code.(news)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Defra should draw up a code of practice to regulate trade relations between farmers and processors, according to the Competition Commission's groceries inquiry. The commission said it was making the recommendation after being advised by lawyers ...
Cereal and dairy set for EU nutrient profiling reprieve.(news)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Pressure is mounting on the FSA to overhaul its Nutrient Profiling Model after the European Food Safety Authority told Brussels it believed an EU-wide model could exempt--or make special conditions for--HFSS foods that play a key role in the diet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Hero deal provides Organix funding to expand products.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Organic babyfood company Organix Brands is set to double in size by 2011 following its acquisition by Swiss food company Hero. As part of the deal, Organix has secured funding to increase its product range from 55 to more than 100 in the next two-and-a-half years. It will also ...
Shopper scepticism set to hit functional.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Growth in global sales of functional foods is set to slow as consumers become doubtful over the health claims made for products. The 36.5bn [pounds sterling] market is forecast by Datamonitor to grow in value by 5.7% a year for the next five years to 48bn [pounds sterling], with ...
Long's set for Supervalu rebranding.(news)(Long's Supermarket )(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Northern Irish independent retailer Long's Supermarket is to adopt Musgrave Group's SuperValu fascia. Contracts are expected to be finalised next week between the two chains. Long's Supermarket will be rebranded as Long's SuperValu. The chain ...
Union puts spotlight on Asda in equal gender pay debate.(news)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Supermarket giant Asda is paying its female-dominated shopfloor staff less than its male-run distribution workforce despite the similarities in job function, the GMB union claimed this week. Test cases against Asda are looming as the union turns the spotlight on the retail ...
We won't sell for knockdown price say Somerfield backers.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The private equity consortium that owns Somerfield would rather stick with the retailer than sell it for a knockdown price, The Grocer has learnt. The consortium, which includes Barclays Capital, Apax and property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, is considering first-round bids for the ...
Deal to sell Stonegate to management.(news)(Stonegate Farmers Ltd.)(Noble Foods Ltd. )(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Stonegate is expected to complete a management buyout of the Noble Foods-owned business in weeks. A team led by Stonegate MD Pam Corbett is to buy the egg supplier almost a year after Noble was forced to put it on the market by the Competition Commission. In 2006, ...
Bottled water suppliers hit beck at green lobby.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Bottled water suppliers claim a sales slump last year was caused by a poor summer and was not a result of repeated attacks on the category by the green lobby. Bottled water sales fell 4.5% to 291.3m [pounds sterling] in the year to 4 November 2007 [TNS Worldpanel]. ...
No more free bags at M&S.(news)(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marks & Spencer is to stop giving away free plastic bags under its Plan A eco-initiative. From 6 May each food carrier bag will cost 5p, which will be donated to charity. Trials of the scheme in more than 50 stores in Northern Ireland and the ...
Tate & Lyle pledges no price hike with switch to Fairtrade.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Tate & Lyle has promised that its plan to move its entire retail cane sugars range to Fairtrade by 2009 will not hit shoppers in the pocket. The move marks the largest-ever switch to the ethical labelling scheme by any major UK food or drink brand. Sales and ...
ACS fury at prison ad's lack of respect.(news)(Association of Convenience Stores)(advertising)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The Association of Convenience Stores has blasted the Ministry of Justice for placing a recruitment advert for prison officers that suggested convenience retailers did not get respect. The advertisement, which appeared in several national newspapers this week, featured a ...
Supermarket surgery first in Manchester.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Sainsbury's is to open the UK's first supermarket-based GP surgery on Monday in a six-month trial. The out-of-hours surgery at Heaton Park in Manchester will open on Mondays and Thursdays from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. The Doctors In Store ...
Londis embarks on ambitious plan to sharpen supply chain.(news)(Londis Holdings Ltd.)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Musgrave Retail Partners is planning a shake-up of Londis in a bid to improve sales, availability and service for independents operating under the fascia. It will plough 1m [pounds sterling] over the next year into cutting wholesale prices on key KVIs and extending promotional ...
Independents key to Tangerine plans.(news)(Tangerine Confectionery Ltd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Confectionery company Tangerine said it would be targeting increased sales through independent retailers following completion of its 58m [pounds sterling] purchase Monkhill from Cadbury Schweppes. The deal sees Tangerine take ownership of Monkhill's factories at York, ...
Co-op Group sells stores to Sainsbury's.(news)(Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd.)(J Sainsbury PLC)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The Co-operative Group has sold two shops to Sainsbury's. The stores, in Littleborough, Lancashire, and Haltwhistle, Northumberland, are two of eight outlets the society was ordered by competition watchdogs to sell following its merger with United Cooperatives in July last year. ...
Morrisons awaits decision over E.coli.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Morrisons' wait to discover whether it will be prosecuted over the death of a woman in Scotland is drawing to a close after police filed their report on last summer's E.coli outbreak. Margaret Rowan, 66, from Paisley, died last August after contracting E.coli. Her death and a ...
1.5m [pounds sterling] revamp for Leeds icon.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Leeds Corn Exchange is undergoing a refurbishment to transform it into a major destination for food lovers. Developers are putting 1.5m [pounds sterling] into restoring the grade I-listed building as a food emporium that will house 40 specialist ...
Food from Britain stunned by Defra's move to pull funding.(news)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Food from Britain admitted it would be forced to scale back its support for UK manufacturers after learning its 5m [pounds sterling] annual budget from Defra would be pulled in three years. The promotional body, which champions British food abroad to drive exports, had expected ...
Record sales drive Centra expansion.(news)(Centra Foodmarkets Ltd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Centra, the expanding Musgrave-owned Irish franchise chain, achieved record sales of 1.38bn [euro] in the Irish Republic last year, a 15.1% increase on 2006. Like-for-like sales were up 8.1% compared with overall Irish retail growth of 7%. Centra said it planned to ...
Somerfield saves 30m [pounds sterling] with system.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Somerfield claims to have saved 30m [pounds sterling] on maintenance costs in the past five years by installing an online monitoring system. Emergense, which replaced paper records, enables Somefield to track all maintenance jobs and emergency repairs in 90o outlets. Staff can ...
Public concern at food miles soars.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The proportion of UK consumers concerned about food miles has nearly doubled in the past five years, according to the latest research from IGD. The research, outlined in Shopper Trends--Five Years On, indicated 16% of people were concerned about the distance food travels--up ...
Payzone strikes deal for expanded service.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Electronic payment provider Payzone has paired up with rival 3R in a bid to reduce PayPoint's stranglehold on the market. Payzone will provide a full range of services, including mobile top-ups, utility payments, travel tickets and gift card sales, across 3R's network of 1,800 ...
Scheme for more free c-store ATMs.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... More flee-to-use cash machines will be installed in c-stores and CTNs thanks to a joint initiative between the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and HSBC. The scheme is part of government plans to provide machines in low-income areas. More than 1,700 areas have been ...
Readers name Waitrose best supermarket.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Waitrose has been voted best supermarket by readers of the women's magazine Good Housekeeping. The chain triumphed in the publication's Food Awards, in which Tesco was named best online grocer. Green & Black's won three categories--best comfort food, favourite ...
Investigation into France price rises.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... PARIS: The French government has warned manufacturers and retailers it will investigate why prices in France have risen faster than in neighbouring countries. "There have been abuses on the part of ...
Woolworths' half-year profit up.(WORLD NEWS)(Woolworths Supermarkets)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SYDNEY: Australian grocery chain Woolworths has reported a 28.1% increase in half-year net profit to AUS$891.3m (419m [pounds sterling]) on sales up 8.6% at AUS$24bn (11.3bn [pounds sterling]). Sales in its supermarket division in Australia rose 7.8% to ...
Saudi supermarket chains merge.(WORLD NEWS)(Saudi Arabian chains Al Azizia Panda and Giant Stores are to merge. Savola Group)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... RIYADH: Saudi Arabian chains Al Azizia Panda and Giant Stores are to merge. Savola Group, which owns Al Azizia Panda, will own 80% of the joint venture. The chains operate 80 supermarkets between them and ...
Shell acquisitions for 7-Eleven.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... DALLAS, TEXAS: 7-Eleven, the world's largest c-store chain, has acquired 27 Shell forecourts in Dallas from Quik Way Retail. The stores, which will be rebranded as 7-Eleven, will initially be company-operated then franchised out to ...
Brussels rules on parmesan origin.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... BRUSSELS: The European High Court has ruled that cheese marketed as parmesan must come from Italy. Cheesemakers in Parma and the surrounding region of Northern Italy have been fighting to protect their product from copies ...
Sarkozy's French cuisine campaign.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... PARIS: French president Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a campaign to persuade the United Nation's Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to add French cuisine to its World ...
Costcutter in search for new director.(movers & shakers)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Symbol group Costcutter is planning a board level shake-up as it looks to recruit for the new role of marketing and development director. Costcutter chairman Colin Graves said marketing was playing a bigger role than ever for the company in ...
Mounsey leaves M&S for Budgens sales role.(movers & shakers)(Andrew Mounsey)(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Musgrave Retail Partners GB has named Andrew Mounsey as sales director for Budgens. Mounsey, who takes up the role on 10 March, joins Budgens from Marks & Spencer, where he was divisional executive for southern Simply Food stores. The move follows the completion of a ...
Serious Food Co names St Ivel desserts boss chief executive.(movers & shakers)(Serious Food Company appoints Paul Bates as chief executive)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... St Ivel desserts boss Paul Bates has been appointed chief executive of the Serious Food Company. The news comes in the week the company announced it was relaunching its entire desserts and juices businesses and forecast sales growth of nearly 10% to 95m [pounds sterling]. ...
Emerson joins Waitrose as HR director.(movers & shakers)(Ailsa Emerson )(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Waitrose has appointed Ailsa Emerson as its new personnel director. She will sit on the Waitrose management board and will develop a plan to deliver personnel, occupational health, learning and development for Waitrose staff. Emerson joins the company on 19 May from ...
Spall brings Tesco's supply chain expertise to Innocent.(movers & shakers)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Innocent has appointed former Tesco director Stephen Spall to head up its supply chain and help drive ongoing expansion. Spall will be responsible for a 40-strong supply team and will oversee the company's entire supply chain "from field to shelf", working with suppliers to help ...
Chiefs take helm at revamped Unilever.(movers & shakers)(Unilever U.K. Central Resources Ltd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Unilever UK has restructured its operations as part of ongoing efforts to simplify the business. It will combine its home & personal care and foods businesses into a single category structure, led by Vindi Banga, president for foods. Banga, who has been in the role for nearly ...
Whiteside at Greggs.(Greggs PLC appointed Roger Whiteside as a non-executive director)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... High street baker Greggs has appointed Roger Whiteside as a non-executive ...
Caravan trustees.(appointments of Ruston Smith and Ian Radcliffe)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Ruston Smith, group pensions director for Tesco, and Ian Radcliffe, customer business ...
Board withdrawal.(Janet Bainbridge has resigned as chairman at Potato Company, she will be replaced by Dennis Heywood)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Janet Bainbridge has resigned as chairman designate of the Potato Company, the new levy board for the sector, that forms ...
King leaves NFU for position at 2Sisters.(movers & shakers)(2Sisters appoints Peter King as chief livestock adviser)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Peter King has left his role as chief livestock adviser at the National Farmers' Union to take up a new position with 2Sisters, the major poultry processor. His role at the company would be similar to his position at the NFU, he said. King has worked for the union ...
Morrisons polishes up its act: Morrisons is savouring its first Top Store victory in 19 weeks and it can thank Polish shoppers at its Ferry Road store in Edinburgh for boosting soles of fresh food and traditional Polish fare.(the grocer 33)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Tapping into the tastes of the local Polish community in the Crewe Toll district of Edinburgh has helped Morrisons scoop its first Top Store win for 19 weeks. Morrisons' 28,000 sq ft Ferry Road branch was warm and welcoming and provided a full basket of goods, according to our ...
Q&A with Jim McCulloch: store manager of the week.(the grocer 33)(Interview)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What products are selling well at the moment? Unlike the average Morrisons, we have on oven fresh pie shop, which people drive from all over Edinburgh to shop at. Sales of these pies are up 45% on last year and our in-store sandwiches are up ...
This week a year ago the winner was ...(the grocer 33)(Scottish Morrisons)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was another Scottish Morrisons that picked up our Top Store award this time last year. Its Baillieston branch in Glasgow received full marks for strong availability and superior service. Store manager Neill McFarlane (left) has since moved on ...
Price survey.(the grocer 33)(Survey)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Asda's attempt to record a fourth week as cheapest retailer has been foiled by Morrisons as the price gap between the big four becomes narrower than ever. Only 62p separated Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco from each other after they matched prices on 15 items, ranging ...
Availability.(the grocer 33)(Survey)
Mar 01, 2008 ... * ASDA Small Heath, Birmingham 0 [OUT OF STOCK] It was just as well this Asda outlet had clear signage because it was so big our shopper found it difficult to find all the items. The staff were helpful and the aisles were clean with no clutter. On-the-vine tomatoes ...
Top-up shop.
Mar 01, 2008 ... Every week The Grocer's mystery shoppers also visit convenience stores to check out the price of 10 commonly bought fast-moving food items across all grocery categories <Pre> PRODUCTS COSTCUTTER CO-OPMACE Heinz Baked Beanz 415g...
Wine continues to lead the way in promotions: the growth and popularity of wine has helped it to increase its lead over beer and lager in the alcoholic drinks category.(promotrack)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Although it often feels as though the alcohol market is dominated by beer and lager, wine leads the way in promotional activity. Wine's popularity and growth over the past few years has seen it strengthen its lead in the category year-on-year. Its current share is 46%, up from ...
The commission's second chance to end rogue trade: appointing an ombudsman is an opportunity for the industry to stop rogue traders but suppliers need to make their views known.(SATURDAY ESSAY)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Apparently Soc Gen had two chances to stop its rogue trader before he caused a 3.7bn [pounds sterling] loss. I believe that with the current Competition Commission review, UK grocery is in the midst of its second opportunity to stop its own rogue traders--buyers who abuse their power and ...
Daily Mail.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Supermarkets were preparing for an online price war to gain market share, according to the Daily Mail. Lest week Tesco started offering shoppers 10 [pounds sterling] off ...
The Guardian.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.)(Scottish & Newcastle Breweries PLC)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Anheuser-Busch was reportedly considering a counterbid for Scottish & Newcastle that would derail an agreed 7.8bn [pounds sterling] offer from Carlsberg and Heineken. It was the second ...
The Daily Telegraph.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The booming Fairtrade industry was a hollow "marketing device", that did not promote long-term economic development and left most farmers in developing countries worse off, according to findings from ...
Daily Express.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Walkers Snack Foods Ltd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Muslims are being urged to boycott Walkers crisps offer it emerged that some varieties contain alcohol. The Daily Express said some varieties contained ethyl alcohol, used to ...
The Observer.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Survey)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The Observer continued its focus on GM foods and revealed that only one in five Britons were worried about the dangers associated with GM. According to a poll by the Food Standards ...
The time is right for virtual grocery: shoppers are more prepared to do their shopping online than ever before. Retailers must seize the opportunities the internet offers.(SECOND OPINION)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Seven years after the bubble that saw investors catch a cold from ploughing their cash into internet-based companies, we think the web-based revolution has finally begun. Over the road in general retail, Ideal Shopping has been bid for, and online fashion store ASOS's share price ...
Blythman ill-informed on folic acid.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Joanna Blythman's view that mandatory fortification of folic acid could increase health risks for millions of people is misleading, ill-informed and sensationalist ('Expect bread plan to fail the acid test,' The Grocer, 16 February, p27). The FSA has a responsibility to weigh up ...
When 'local' milk is not, er, local.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SIR; I read with interest your article on Tesco's Direct to Store local milk sourcing initiative with Dairy Farmers of Britain ('Direct delivery boosts Localchoice milk sales', The Grocer, 16 February, p60). I live in Kent and I used to have a herd of cows that supplied DFB ...
Making sure public values British meat.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... SIR; The International Meat Trade Association appears to have completely misread the latest of the four Eblex economic studies published last month (Letters, The Grocer, 23 February, p24). Our study Retail Prices and Import Demand simply evaluates what is likely to happen to beef and lamb ...
The time has come for an ombudsman.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... SIR; You lend your support to the Competition Commission's proposal for an independent ombudsman to act as referee between supermarkets and their suppliers, arguing that although this solution may take longer, it is better to get the solution right than to go with a quick fix (Opinion, 23 ...
Ombudsman is the correct solution.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... SIR; The British Brands Group welcomes the Competition Commission's proposal to appoint an ombudsman to oversee relations between grocery retailers and their suppliers ('Can the new ombudsman bring discipline to supermarkets?, The Grocer, 23 February, p26). The proposal is a proportionate ...