Grocer back issues from August 2008:
Opinion.(Tesco PLC plans to open a banking store)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... With the Competition Commission unable to conclude its inquiry into the grocery supermarket industry (see p5), we've been kept waiting for Tesco's next 'Big Idea', the masterstroke we've all come to expect that will see Tesco disappear away from the ensuing pack, as it did with its move ...
This week's hot topic.(ASDA Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Why Asda is hopeful. In more ways than one. Asda suppliers are used to outrageous demands. But the latest proposals, for magazine publishers, take 'demanding' to whole new levels. In return for listings on its shelves, Asda is reportedly asking not just for a ton of ...
The man for the merger.(news)(Guy McCracken appointed at Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd.)
Aug 02, 2008; ... The Co-operative Group has persuaded Guy McCracken, its influential CEO of food retail, to delay his retirement to integrate Somerfield into the business. McCracken officially stepped down as head of food on Sunday but will take up the new post, based at Somerfield's ...
Tesco ambitious to become full-scale banking operation.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Tesco has set out plans to launch a full retail bank, offering current accounts and bank branches in store. Tesco has paid 950m [pounds sterling] to buy the Royal Bank of Scotland's 50% stake in Tesco Personal Finance on Monday. It will allow Tesco to widen its ...
Protest fails to get through to Vodafone.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Vodafone has refused to back down in its stand-off with independents who rebelied against a move to cut the rate of commission by a single percentage point. Led by Spar, retailers organised three boycotts by refusing to sell its top-ups. But the protests failed to stop ...
FMCG majors feel credit crunch heat.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Profits at the leading global fmcg companies have "maxed out" and face a tough year ahead as consumers become increasingly unwilling to absorb price rises, a new study exclusive to The Grocer reveals. The warning comes after the top 50 fmcg companies posted record profit ...
Hard line shirked by government.(news)
Aug 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The government's verdict on the Competition Commission's grocery inquiry has caused anger and relief in equal measure this week. While retailers are welcoming the hands-off approach revealed this week by the Department for Business Enterprise & ...
Caterer food costs have soared 9.3%.(news)(Report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caterers are paying 9.3% extra for food compared with a year ago, according to a new report. The biggest price hikes are on eggs, up 37% over the past year, butter (32%) and oils and fats (24%). Wholesalers, many of which run on fight profit ...
Now Booths leaps into the 50p fresh food fray.(news)
Aug 02, 2008; ... It is known as 'the Harrods of the north' and has won countless plaudits for its artisan stores and highquality produce but upmarket independent supermarket Booths has become the latest chain to wade into the supermarkets' 50p price war. Despite being known as a fine food ...
Sales of sandwiches ride out savaging by C4's Dispatches.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Sales of pre-prepared sandwiches have ridden the storm created by a documentary that flagged up the poor health credentials of sandwiches sold in the UK. Retailers said there was no evidence of consumers turning their backs on sandwiches following Channel 4's Dispatches ...
Rooney fronts Hovis TV ads.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wayne Rooney is reported to be the new face of Hovis and will appear in the bread's TV ads from September. The football star will be paid 150,000 [pounds sterling] for appearing in the two-minute commercials, according to ...
Tesco targets ex-military as new recruits.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Tesco has launched a scheme to recruit ex-mih'tary personnel and help them adjust to life on Civvy Street. So far, more than 30 ex-Army, Royal Navy and RAF personnel of all ranks have joined Tesco in a variety of roles under the scheme, which was developed by Tesco with support ...
Northern Foods sees potential in premium.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Northern Foods has called on retailers to boost investment in their premium own-label ready meal ranges. Revealing a fall in group sales volumes of 2% year-on-year, Northern boss Stefan Barden blamed the slump on the company's exit from its unprofitable own-label frozen pizza ...
EC to rule on Cornish pasty.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The European Commission is to decide whether Cornish pasties must be made in the county to use the name. Defra has backed an application from the Cornish Pasty Association (CPA) for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. If ...
Sainsbury's denies losing out to Asda.(news)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Sainsbury's has disputed reports that Asda has replaced it as the UK's second-largest online retailer. Confidential TNS data leaked to the press revealed that in the 12 weeks to 15 June, Asda grew its online sales by 71.8%, propelling it into second place behind Tesco. ...
Cadbury manages to keep rises low.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Cadbury has delivered a 3% rise in UK sales despite much "uglier" trading conditions than a year ago, according to boss Todd Stitzer. Price hikes of 50% in oil prices, 37% in cocoa and 29% in sugar made for a "scary" environment, Stitzer admitted during the group's halfyear ...
Wiseman ups milk.(Hovis )(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Robert Wisemon Dairies has won o contract to supply an additional 50 million ...
Kraft's profits rise.(Financial report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Kraft has announced secondquarter profits of $732m (369.6m [pounds sterling]), an increase of 3.5%. Sales at the US-bused food ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Aug 02, 2008 ... In on interview with Jason Gissing (The Grocer, 26 July, p30) it was stated Ocodo was the first online retailer to ...
Ruddock warns of tax if stores fail bag target.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Waitrose is on track to cut carrier bag use by 50% by the end of the year--but will have to increase this to 70% by next spring if it wants to avoid charging consumers, the government has warned. Environment minister Joan Ruddock said that in the wake of Marks & Spencer's ...
Crown Crest: Instore offer unconditional.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Leicester-based wholesaler Crown Crest has said its offer to acquire value retailer Instore has become "unconditional in all respects". Last month, Crown Crest's investment vehicle Seaham Investments launched a 5p-a-share bid for Instore, which operates the Poundstretcher and ...
Green tea falls out of favour with sales slumping by 2.6%.(news)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Sales of greentea--once considered the next big thing in beverages--have dropped 2.6% over the past year, new TNS Woddpanel data has revealed. Green tea sales stood at 12m [pounds sterling] for the year ending 15 June, representing a 0.8% share of the total hot beverages market ...
Ben & Jerry's says it's a Caring Dairy.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Ben and Jerry's has added a 'Caring Dairy' logo to cartons across its European ice cream and frozen yoghurt ranges. The logo on the back of the carton, which is expected to debut in early September, is the latest ethical selling point for the brand following the launch of its ...
Credit crunch is good business for Bestway.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Bestway's own-label range and symbol group are both experiencing double-digit sales growth as the company "does an Aldi" and benefits from the credit crunch. Sales of its Best-in range of 500 lines was booming as consumers abandoned brands and tried to rein in their spending, ...
Finger on the pulse: Asda asks shoppers.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Asda is onthe hunt for 10,000 volunteers to reveal exactly what they think of the retailer. Under the Pulse of the Nation scheme, Asda will ask shoppers for feedback on prices and new products and ask about their lives and shopping habits. "The idea is getting close to customers ...
Payzone brings in minimum 5p rate.(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Payzone has launched a new payment system designed to give retailers more commission on lowcost sales. The electronics payment provider has introduced a new structure for utilities and bills payments that will earn retailers a flat rate of 5P, 6p or lop, depending on the type of ...
Stop & Shop sues over 'Real Deal'.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS: Stop & Shop is suing Whole Foods Market, claiming the company copied its marketing campaign. In a federal lawsuit, filed last week in Boston, Stop & Shop said that weeks after it rolled out its 'Real Deal' advertising campaign offering money-saving tips, Whole Foods ...
Coca-Cola cuts a slurp in Hong Kong.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... HONG KONG: Coco-Cola is cutting its can size from 355mi to 330mi in Hang Kong because the price of oluminium has risen drastically. Rising energy prices have pushed aluminium prices up 25% ...
Carrefour switches to single board.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... PARIS: Carrefour shareholders have voted to adopt a single board of directors, to include former French finance minister Thierry Breton. It will replace the current dual structure of supervisory board and management ...
California to vote on animal rights.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... CALIFORNIA: Eggs from caged hens, gestation crates for sows and veal crates could all be banned in California, when voters decide whether to reform the state's farm animal rights laws this autumn. The egg industry is preparing to campaign to stop the measure being passed ....
Leeds-based Gazeley goes to Dubai.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... DUBAI: Citigroup and Deutsche Bank have been asked to arrange a $1.25bn (629m [pounds sterling]) loan to pay for the acquisition of UK warehouse development company Gazeley from Wal-Mart. On 10 June, Dubai World's Ports & Free Zones unit said it had agreed to buy Leeds-based Gozeley, which ...
Tesco meets discounter threat with new range.(news)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Tesco has launched a major assault on discounters in the Republic of Ireland with the introduction of a bold amber and black Cash Savers fixture, and is set to launch a similar scheme this October in the UK. The range includes 1,000 "everyday" items grouped together in a ...
Health advice as you shop.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sainsbury's has become the first multiple to launch instore travel clinics offering free health advice, over-thecounter treatments and immunisations in store. The clinics, which are staffed by registered nurses, are taking place every Saturday ...
Retailer fury at rise in carriage charges.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Newsagents are up in arms over plans by Menzies Distribution to increase carriage charges by 5.64% from September. Menzies Distribution blamed a "meteoric rise" in fuel prices for the increase, which is the second hike by a news wholesaler in less than a fortnight. Two weeks ...
Mills Group picks Ginsters as supplier.(news)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Ginsters has won a contract to supply savouries and sandwiches to the Mills Group convenience chain. Under the deal, the baked goods firm will be the retailer's only savouries and sandwiches supplier for its 82 stores across South Wales, the Midlands, the north east and ...
3m [pounds sterling] store revamp for East of England.(news)(East of England Co-operative Society )(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... East of England Co-operative Society has ploughed 2.8m [pounds sterling] into revamping three stores as part of its ongoing refurbishment programme. The society, which has more than 200 stores across East Anglia, spent 1.4m [pounds sterling] on extending and refitting its store ...
Sainsbury's takes the axe to HR and training.(movers & shakers)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Sainsbury's is shaking up its HR and training department both at head office and across its store network in a move that could lead to significant job losses. It is understood to be cutting the number of people in its Personnel and Training department by more than half at its ...
Tham heads Tiger in UK.(movers & shakers)(Ashley Tham appointed at Tiger Beer )(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ashley Tham has been made the country manager for Tiger Beer UK, replacing Alan Gourdie who is to return to his native New Zealand. As Tiger's European market manager, Tham helped develop the brand's Europe20%. Tham will manage all ...
Tesco names new service team chiefs.(movers & shakers)(Andrew Higginson and Banker Benny Higgins appointed)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Andrew Higginson is to surrender his position as finance director at Tesco to become CEO of retailing services. The move is part of a shake-up that coincides with Tesco's announcement that it is to launch a full-service retail bank. Higginson's newly created role ...
How nominated new chair of WSTA.(movers & shakers)(Tim How appointed at Wine and Spirit Trade Association)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Former Majestic Wine chief executive Tim How has been nominated as the next chairman of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association. How recently announced his retirement from the wine warehouse chain, which he has steered to growing success over the past 19 years. His ...
Asda makes it a tidy win: a full basket, helpful staff and a clean and tidy store have earned Asda in Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, this week's Top Store award. Teamwork is key, says store manager Stuart Jones.(the grocer 33)(Interview)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Asda's Minworth store has its work cut out as it prepares for a major redevelopment next year, but this has not distracted deputy store manager Stuart Jones and his team from providing outstanding availability and customer service to win this week's Top Store award. Keeping on ...
This week a year ago the winner was ...(the grocer 33)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Store manager Jon Williets had successfully overseen the relocation of his Waitrose store from the high street to the outskirts of Lymington when we spoke last year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Williets is currently enjoying the fruits of 25 years' service--a six-month ...
Service champs.(the grocer 33)
Aug 02, 2008 ... <Pre> SERVICE CHAMPS Weekly winners since 14 June 2008 Waitrose ...
Price survey.(the grocer 33)(Survey)
Aug 02, 2008; ... It's almost a year since the credit crunch bit and still none of the big five can consistently touch Asda on price. The gap between Asda and second-placed Morrisons widened this week, thanks in no small part to a 1.66 [pounds sterling] price differential on pork chops. Asda also ...
Availability.(the grocer 33)
Aug 02, 2008 ... * ASDA Minworth, Birmingham 0 OUT OF STOCK This 24-hour Asda supercentre provided the week's only full basket of goods and impressed our shopper in every aspect of its offer from its strong customer service to impressive merchandising. The Old El Paso dinner kit was ...
Top-up shop.
Aug 02, 2008 ... Who we visited BUDGENS Queen's Road, Brighton CO-OPERATIVE GROUP Halesworth, Suffolk KEYSTORE Kirkintilloch, Glasgow BRIARS MINI MARKET Oakham, Leicestershire TESCO EXPRESS Chipperfield Road, Birmingham How they performed On a hot summer's day in Brighton, ...
Own-label offers sizzle with barbecue appeal: Asda and Sainsbury's both pushed own-label meat, but there were a raft of other hot summer offers in store at the weekend.(promotrack)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Branded goods tend to dominate supermarket promotions, but there are always a small but revealing number of own-label offers on display. Last weekend, with the school holidays in full swing and the weather sizzling, most retailers were working hard to promote their hottest ...
Share of space: week ending 27/07/2008.(promotrack)(ASDA Group Ltd.)(J Sainsbury PLC)(Tesco PLC)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... <Pre> Share of space Week ending 27/07/2008 * W/END--SAINSBURY'S OWN LABEL Meat 32% Fruit 22% Chilled snacking 19% Vegetables14% Cooked meats/deli 14% * ...
Global supply chains are changing--we must too: despite global competition for supply, too many businesses are lagging behind the competition on the risk management front.(SATURDAY ESSAY)(Survey)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Our global food supply chains have suddenly become risky. Be it the impact of a cyclone in Burma, food miles in Chile or biofuels in America, the daily headlines warn of burgeoning global supply wars. Yet despite the growing cost and scarcity of raw materials, 45% of ...
FT.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Diageo is eyeing a move for a stake in Cobra Beer, according to the Financial Times. Diageo, the world's largest drinks group, is in talks to acquire a 30% share in the Indian-themed brand, with the ...
Daily Mail.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Sandwiches ore not the 'healthy option' consumers perceive them to be, claimed the Daily Mail. A study by the paper in association with the Channel 4 programme Dispatches found that some pre-packaged sandwiches ...
The Times.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Cornish Pasty Association )(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Cornish pasties could be in line to get protected status from European regulators, wrote The Times. Rural affairs secretary Hilary Benn is backing a campaign by local producers for the term ...
The Daily Telegraph.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... The price of a '99' ice cream cone has rocketed by as much as 10%, warned The DailyTelegraph, as vendors pass on the soaring cost of powdered milk. The commodity rose in ...
The Sun.(WHAT THE PAPERS SAID)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Supplies of English honey could run out by next year, warned The Sun, blaming a number of factors including last year's wet ...
Don't let's become gooseberry fools: the supermarkets' obsession with exotic fruit is leading to the neglect of British classics such as gooseberries and damsons.(SECOND OPINION)
Aug 02, 2008; ... So now we can add the baobab to the list of weird and wonderful fruit novelties on supermarket shelves. Loaded with vitamin C, they may just give goji berries a run for their money, but more likely they'll end up on the ever-lengthening list of strange and stupid fruits that arrived in a ...
Bottled is healthier than tap water.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Danone Waters UK (DWUK) would like to respond to your recent online article on bottled water (thegrocer.co.uk, 24 July) in which you reference claims made by Which? in the August issue of its magazine. The key criticism put forward in the Which? report argued that consumers ...
Salt cuts: food safety key in reformulation.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008; ... SIR; In response to the news story in The Grocer on salt ('FSA salt targets blasted', 26 July, p4), the FSA would like to stress that food safety continues to be absolutely paramount to us, and should be a priority during reformulation. All the proposed salt reductions carry the proviso ...
Don't get ripped off at the checkout.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008; ... SIR; I am becoming increasingly frustrated (and cynical) about the number of incorrect prices on the grocers' shelf-edge labels. Last night at one of my local big four I bought six items; one of them being a pack of chillies, clearly labelled at 50p. After paying for ...
Booze: build on the work that's in place.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008; ... SIR; As the government sets out to launch yet another consultation on alcohol policies, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association is calling for sensible drinking policies that are matched with the enforcement of current laws. The government's latest strategy document is simply ...
Sale or return can just lead to waste.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008 ... Name supplied SIR; The government has spoken on food waste. Should it interfere? I once worked for a supermarket that in Christmas 1979 sold individual pork pies from an unrefrigerated display. Head office had decreed that they did not need to be cooled. Staff were ...
Morrisons can do low price at a profit.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 02, 2008; ... SIR; The buyer who said in your article 'How low can they go?' (The Grocer, 26 July, p24) that the low-price deals Morrisons is running must be killing it is naive. Does he not take into account that all the 50p price crunch items are produced in-house due to Morrisons' vertical ...
Are revised FSA reduction targets worth their salt? Manufacturers warn of the risk of blandness, crumbling Cheddar and botulism. But is the whole premise suspect?(analysis)
Aug 02, 2008; ... For a mineral as essential to our survival as air or water, salt has suffered something of a bad press of late. And while the Food Standards Agency's latest warnings may have fired up the redtops, food manufacturers have been rather less appreciative of the tough new targets set for salt ...
Vodafone battle is lost but not the war: c-store retailers are threatening to levy a 10p surcharge following unsuccessful boycotts.(analysis)
Aug 02, 2008; ... Unfortunately, in most David and Goliath confrontations, David is not the winner. And so it appeared this week. Despite three successive weeks of boycotts involving a reported 10,000 convenience store retailers, Vodafone went ahead and cut commission on mobile phone top ups from 6.5% to ...
Think global act focal: global suppliers are focusing on their billionaire brands and reaping the rewards in spite of the economy.(the oc&c global fmcg giants index)(Nestle S.A.)(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Unilever Group)(Financial report)
Aug 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's not much you can do with olive oil. At least that was the rationale behind Unilever's decision to offload its Bertolli olive oil business to Grupo SOS in a 500m [pounds sterling] sale last month. Bertolli is one of the world's leading olive oil ...
The captain's first mate: what more perfect a job for a self-confessed fish finger addict than MD of Birds Eye? Anne Murphy talks to Mark Choueke.(the big interview)(Interview)
Aug 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anne Murphy's family reckons she was always destined to work for Birds Eye. The company's UK MD apparently ate virtually nothing but fish fingers as a child. Even when Murphy's brother, 10 years her senior, celebrated his 21st birthday in a ...