Grocer back issues from September 2008:
Hot topic.(Report)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... When the layout in a supermarket changes it's a little bit disorientating, isn't it? It will probably be a bit like that reading The Grocer this week, as we've moved things around, bringing some of our news coverage further forward in the book to reflect our strengths as a news magazine, ...
Suppliers shocked as own-label blitz launched on brands.(news)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Branded suppliers were left reeling this week as Tesco and Sainsbury's both launched concerted campaigns promoting their own-label ranges at the expense of brands. Sainsbury's announced a massive Switch & Save campaign, across all media, that will encourage shoppers to buy the ...
Is there no alternative to coke?(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It appears some brands are not included in the 'Cheaper Alternatives' feature on Tesco.com. So while customers looking for a two-litre bottle of Pepsi are pointed to Tesco ...
Polman takes group helm at Unilever.(news)(Paul Polman appointed as chief executive )(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Paul Polman, Nestle's American division director will be appointed Unilever's group chief executive at the end of the year following this week's announcement that Patrick Cescau is to step down. Cescau has worked for Unilever for 35 years and said he was leaving with a real ...
FSA urged not to scare people in sat fats drive.(news)
Sep 06, 2008; ... The Food Standards Agency has welcomed new guidelines on the communication of information relating to sat fat consumption, easing fears that it might introduce scare tactic to warn off consumers. The guidelines from IGD, developed with the industry, stressed the campaign should ...
Aldi and Lidl tap into speciality food sales.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Forget M&S and Waitrose, Lidl is where shoppers are heading for speciality and fine foods these days. The discounter is overtrading by 150% when it comes to Continental cheeses and sliced cooked meats, beating Waitrose into second spot. Aldi doesn't do too badly ...
Seafish blasts confusion of MCS fish lists.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Seafish, the seafood industry body, has slammed the Marine Conservation Society's recently revised lists of 'fish to eat' and 'fish to avoid' for being patchy and riddled with errors. The MCS lists were produced to help consumers choose more sustainable fish. The ...
The Grocer ... it's the best deal in grocery.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... The Grocer is relaunched this week, giving a fresh new look to the UK's leading food and drink business magazine, with expanded news coverage, new columnists and more in-depth analysis of pricing and promotion, The Grocer also continues to be great value at just 2.15 [pounds ...
SNP's plans to raise booze age to 21 anger retailers.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Scottish Government's plans to up the legal age of alcohol purchase to 21 has been slammed by retailers. Convenience retailers claimed the decision, announced by First Minister Alex Salmond, would cost the sector millions of pounds, yet ...
Peak at last? Food price inflation drops from 4.2% to 1.3%.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Food inflation has fallen sharply after July's record month-on-month rise, according to the latest figures from the Grocer Price Index (GPI). Food prices increased 1.3% this month, compared with a 4.2% rise in July, leading analysts to predict food prices may be nearing a peak. ...
Levallois-Perret, France: Carrefour has unveiled plans to slash prices on 300 brands by up to 20% as it published its half-year results.(WORLD NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... * Levallois-Perret, France: Carrefour has unveiled plans to slash prices on 300 brands by up to 20% as it published its half-year results. Described by chief executive Jose Luis Duran as the "best half-year results since 2005", sales for the second quarter rose 8% to 41.948bn [euro] ...
Austin, Texas: Whole Foods Market has played down the impact of a worsening economy, claiming 70% of shoppers are continuing to buy the same volumes of organic food and drink they always have done.(WORLD NEWS)(Survey)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... * Austin, Texas: Whole Foods Market has played down the impact of a worsening economy, claiming 70% of shoppers are continuing to buy the same volumes of organic food and drink they always have done. The retailer said a survey it had commissioned showed results were similar across ...
Croix, France: Auchan Group has released results for the first half of the year showing sales up 9.4% to 18.7bn [euro] (15.2bn [pounds sterling]) and EBITDA up 3.8% to 822m [euro].(WORLD NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... * Croix, France: Auchan Group has released results for the first half of the year showing sales up 9.4% to 18.7bn [euro] (15.2bn [pounds sterling]) and EBITDA up 3.8% to 822m [euro]. Auchan's international operations have increased in importance (49.8% of sales compared with 48% at the ...
British food exports defy downturn.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... UK food and drink exporters are continuing to thrive despite the economic downturn, according to new Food from Britain research. The Eurozone looks to be heading for recession, but in the first quarter of 2008, UK food and drink exports to the region were up 13.2% on the same ...
Hurricane Gustav tears into Jamaican bananas.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008; ... UK retailers have been urged not to abandon Jamaican banana suppliers left reeling by the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Gustav. The hurricane, which swept across the Caribbean island last week, decimated a banana industry that had only just begun to recover after the ...
Mars changes recipe to become healthier.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Mars UK has improved the nutritional content of a number of its leading brands and is to highlight the move to consumers via a new Raising the Bar marketing campaign over the next few weeks. Mars, Twix, Milky Way and Snickers will from now on no longer contain artificial ...
Whistleblower out.(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Marks & Spencer has sacked an IT worker who leaked news that the company was planning ...
Still scoring.
Sep 06, 2008 ... Sir Bobby Charlton has signed up for a new TV ...
Eco-town pull-out.
Sep 06, 2008 ... Tesco has withdrawn from a Government eco-town scheme due to local opposition. Hanley ...
New opportunities in Eastern Europe.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Major expansion opportunities have opened up for UK and Western European retailers as the credit crunch takes hold in Central and Eastern Europe. A report published this week by retail analyst Verdict found that the combined effects of the economic downturn and rapid inflation ...
Merger boost for Glendale Foods group.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... The Glendale Foods group has reported a strong year-on-year increase in sales following a merger with Supreme Foods and acquisition of the Great British Pudding Company. Combined sales for the group have shot up 40% since last year, thanks to expansion into new retail and ...
National Hydration Council formed to back bottled water.(news)(National Hydration Council)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Bottled water suppliers have joined forces to establish the first dedicated water body in a bid to battle the barrage of negative publicity the sector faces. The National Hydration Council, which has been set up by Danone Waters, Highland Spring and Nestle Waters, will promote ...
Asda tracks consumers' confidence.(news)(Survey)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Asda is attempting to map consumer confidence, having recruited 10,000 shoppers to answer weekly questions about their lives, shopping habits, job security and the economy. The Pulse of the Nation Index has produced its first quarterly findings, which show confidence in the ...
Aldi gets a celebrity chef on side.(PICTURE THIS ...)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the clearest sign yet that Aldi has shifted into the grocery mainstream, it has signed up celebrity chef Phil Vickery, aka Mr Fern Britton (seen here with MD Paul Foley), for a series of TV ads and ...
Tesco Ireland flogs sites to raise $70m.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Tesco Ireland is planning to raise some 70m [euro] (57m [pounds sterling]) in the coming months through the sale of unwanted properties and undeveloped sites across the Republic. Sources close to the company stressed that the sell-off did not signal a retrenchment and that the ...
3663 results bruised as consumers eat out less.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Financial report)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Foodservice giant 3663 First For Foodservice is feeling the effects of the credit crunch as people cut back on eating out. The wholesaler's profits have levelled off over the past year and are not expected to improve greatly in the year ahead. Results published this ...
Booker helps retailers turn up the heat.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Wholesaler Booker )(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Wholesaler Booker has launched a new micro-waveable food-to-go range. The Quick & Easy range includes paninis, pizzas, cheeseburgers, bacon roils, toasted sandwiches and soup. The products can be ready in under two minutes, with no food preparation or handling, meaning no food ...
Fuel cost countered by pick-up discount.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(JJ Food Service )(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... JJ Food Service is hoping to defy the credit crunch by opening new depots and offering discounts. It has just opened a new depot in Manchester and plans to open another in Basingstoke by November. Meanwhile, as most businesses try to force through price increases, JJ has reacted ...
News relaunch.
Sep 06, 2008 ... Martin McCall plans to relaunch its home news delivery ...
Hancocks' sweet 16.(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Confectionery specialist Hancocks is to open a new 16,000 sq ft C&C in Liverpool on 28 ...
Vehicle ads Sorted!
Sep 06, 2008 ... Spar wholesaler Appleby Westward has decked its vehicle fleet out ...
CK's takes complaint over Menzies to top.(news)(Chris Kiley)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Independent retailer Chris Kiley has become so enraged at his newspaper distributor that he has taken his complaint to the Office of Fair Trading. The MD of South Wales-based CK's Supermarkets claimed Menzies Distribution had provided an unsatisfactory service, but that his ...
Sainsbury's sells brand ads on vans.(news)(J Sainsbury PLC)(advertising)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sainsbury's is to become the first food retailer to advertise branded products on the sides of its home delivery vans. The retailer, which is selling the space on one side of all the vans in its 1,000-strong fleet, has already signed up Birds ...
Multiples boost space given to healthy fare.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Supermarkets have increased the share of prime promotional space given to fruit and veg by 81% year-on-year, reveals new data that rubbishes suggestions they only promote fatty and sugary food. The total share of premium space, such as gondola ends, given to fresh and frozen ...
Multiples step up price war as Irish shoppers spend less cash.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Multiples in the Irish Republic are stepping up their grocery price war as the challenge from discount chains intensifies and consumer spending hits a 20-year low. Dunnes Stores, the second-largest player, set off the latest round of price cuts by offering a 10% reduction on all ...
Merger for food tech companies.(news)(Campden & Chorley Food Research Association mergers with Brewing Research International)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Food technology companies Campden & Chorley Food Research Association (CCFRA) and Brewing Research International have merged to form Campden BRI. The company specialises in offering research, hygiene, and training services to member companies, and the merger ...
M&S adverts turn lovely JUBBLY.(PICTURE THIS ...)(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As predicted by The Grocer, Marks & Spencer has dispensed with Dervla Kirwan's sultry 'this is not just food, this is M&S food ...' voiceover skills. From Sunday, Only Fools Horses star David Jason voices ...
Frozen suppliers eye bigger share of foodservice.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Having turned around their fortunes in the retail sector, frozen food suppliers are now looking to do the same in foodservice. The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has sent out the first of a series of booklets promoting the benefits of frozen produce to 15,000 foodservice ...
Simply Food and BP alliance reaches 100.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... M&S and BP are set to open their loath jointly branded store this week. The new Towcester North Simply Food at BP Connect, on the A43 in Northamptonshire, opens on Wednesday and marks the halfway point in the companies' plans for 200 stores. "The combination of BP's ...
FSA warning over Zamzam water imports.(news)(Food Standards Agency)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... The FSA has warned Muslims not to drink Zamzam water due to possible high arsenic levels. Muslims revere water from the Zamzam well in Mecca but the export of water from the well for commercial purposes is illegal under Saudi law. Any Zamzam water on sale in the UK, according to ...
Saturdays added to Tesco freight service.(news)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Stobart Group is extending its Tesco rail freight service between Daventry and Grangemouth this week. The train service will now operate six days a week instead of five, with the addition of a Saturday round trip. More traffic will be switched to the line, reducing the number of ...
Blue-sky thinking on food policy signalled by Lansley: can the industry expect a much less confrontational approach on food policy from the Tories should they get into power.(analysis: HEALTH)
Sep 06, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last week the fat lady began tuning up her vocal chords over the future of the FSA's traffic-light labelling scheme. In setting out the Tories' health agenda, Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's tub thumping 'No excuses, no nannying' speech heralded ...
Premier hopes to calm City nerves with Hovis relaunch: Premier Foods is pinning its hopes on Hovis as its new profit-generating champion brand. But won't that big pile of debt get in the way?(analysis: PREMIER FOODS)
Sep 06, 2008; ... It was Gandhi who said, "there are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread". That is unlikely to apply to Robert Schofield, boss of the UK's biggest food manufacturer Premier Foods. But he will no doubt be praying for a slice of ...
Own label under pressure as price gaps get squashed: with the price of own-label products increasing by 18.8% versus 8.6% for branded, just how 'budget' are the budget lines?(analysis: RETAIL & COMMODITY)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Conventional wisdom dictates that as customers feel the pressure of the tough economic climate, they will turn to budget and own-label ranges to ease the strain on their wallets. Sainsbury's plan--to promote own-label products through a 'switch and save' campaign--is counting on the wisdom ...
Sainsbury's impresses in Gateshead.(SERVICE)(J Sainsbury PLC)(Company rankings)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Sainsbury's in Gateshead netted this week's Top Store award, despite being the fourth-most suited retailer to the area. Not only did the store provide a full basket, but staff were helpful, even when busy stacking shelves. Eleven of 25 tills were open. Halifax's Asda presented a ...
Availability.(analysis: THE GROCER 33)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... ASDA Halifax, West Yorkshire Date: 29 August 2008 Time in Shop: 55 mins Time at till: 4 mins Not stocked: 1 OUT OF STOCK: 0 MORRISONS High Wycombe Date: 29 August 2008 Time ...
Asda remains cheapest for a third week.(PRICES)(Company rankings)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Asda has retained the cheapest retailer title for a third week running, seeing off a resurgent Tesco with a relatively comfortable 1.95 [pounds sterling] lead. The gap between Asda and its nearest rival has widened since last week, when just 95P separated it from second place ...
Two up, two down: this week's top price risers and fallers.(analysis: THE GROCER 33)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Basics Digestives Store: Sainsbury's Price: 0.38 [pounds sterling] UP: 72.7% [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pepsi 2-litre Store: Morrisons Price: 1.45 [pounds sterling] UP: 45.0% ...
Aldi shouts louder on television.(ADVERTISING)
Sep 06, 2008; ... As far as the media is concerned, the supermarket price war has been the saving grace of this summer's advertising downturn, with the major multiples increasing spend across TV, press, radio and outdoor by more than 20%. The growth of spend for the smaller retailers, however, ...
Ad of the week: Stella Artois.(analysis: ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS)(advertising)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... The 'reassuringly expensive' tagline may have gone, but at least the budgets for Stella's new ad are still suitably lavish. The ad, which just went national (though it launched via the website in mid August) follows the medieval folk of Leuven toiling to create "the perfect ...
The week for wine buffs to hit the stores.(PROMO DYNAMIC)
Sep 06, 2008; ... A report out this week from the National Consumer Council based on research conducted in March--suggests the supermarkets are promoting fatty foods at the expense of healthy options. With our new Promo Dynamic tracking table, however, the NCC--along with supermarkets and indeed ...
Beware: cost inflation has not yet peaked: the harsh new reality of steep energy costs has yet to be felt in the price of finished goods.(THE SATURDAY ESSAY)(Column)
Sep 06, 2008; ... I am no economist and certainly no politician but, as director of an fmcg manufacturer, I see first hand the effect of fiscal policy decisions on our sector of the economy and our business. For the past three years, FFI--The Coffee People has won Gold in The Grocer's Own label Supplier ...
How will online shopping fare in the crunch? If Nick Clegg's struggling with his grocery bills, it's going to be really tough for us mere mortals.(THIRD PARTY)(Interview)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Commiserating with consumers straggling to make ends meet, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said last month that he was gravitating away from Ocado towards Sainsbury's because of the price. "I have to say, the difference is pretty big," he said. Apparently Clegg, on his salary of 61,000 [pounds ...
Fairness is an unrealistic policy: we can only make the best of a bad job in ever-harsher economic times.(SECOND OPINION)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Do we need a national strategy for food? A few weeks ago, in case you've forgotten, the Cabinet Office published Food Matters, a paper claiming to offer "a strategy for the 21st century". This is a useful compendium on food safety, diet and environmental angst, but one looks in vain for ...
Critical eye.(comment & opinion)(Column)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Delighted as I was when Saint Jamie found a fellow do-gooder in Hugh Fearnley Whine-about-it-all with whom to expound on the evils of intensively reared chicken, I quite like celebrity chefs to do a bit of cooking once in a while. Which is why I am rapidly warming to the ...
Keep gold for the genuinely great.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Sir, At a time when Team GB's performance in Beijing has inspired shoppers to buy more sporting goods at Tesco, it seems it is easy to get a little blase about the real worth of gold medals. This year's Fine Food awards were contested by 2,021 small producers and 4,800 products ...
Batteries? We've got just the thing.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Sir, I was very interested to read your article on batteries and the EU directive on recycling (The Grocer, 30 August, p35), although slightly surprised this is only now being addressed. We at EML have been aware of the EU directive for some time and have been considering the ...
Organic cheaper as oil prices rise.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Sir, A recent Chatham House report predicted the price of oil would rise to $200 per barrel in five to 10 years. At this point the production of organic combinable crops, such as wheat, barley and oil seed rape, could become more profitable than non-organic, a study carried out for the ...
Food debate goes beyond GM.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Sir, Ministers' calls for debate on whether GM foods will help feed the world ore a red herring disguising a crisis at the heart of British science. The UK's research institutions and regulators are not set up to respond to public debate about what people need or want, and are ...
Five most read.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)
Sep 06, 2008 ... 1. Food poisoning alert aver pre-packed salads 2. M&S to shelve 'not just food' slogan 3. Tories: it's red to traffic ...
On the forum.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)
Sep 06, 2008 ... "It's about time M&S got rid of that slogan completely--they've been a laughing ...
Last week's poll.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)(Survey)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... Last week, The Grocer revealed that the retail price of eggs had risen by 39% in the past 18 months, while the production price had gone ...
Fighting the flab.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... In response to rising levels of childhood obesity, the Conservative Party has unveiled a 'responsibility deal', identifying areas where the industry can ...
Innocent moves into meals with Veg Pots.(news: FOOD & DRINK)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008; ... Stew and soya beans are among the latest new flavours from Innocent--but thankfully they won't be coming in smoothie form, as the company sensationally unveiled its first-ever range of food products this week. Tasty Veg Pots are a four-strong range of vegetable-based ready ...
Mighty Spice range hits Sainsbury's.(news: FOOD & DRINK)(J Sainsbury PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 06, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sainsbury's is to target keen home cooks with a new range of fresh curry pastes from The Mighty Spice Company. The three-strong range of chilled pastes, rsp 3.99 [pounds sterling] a tub, are all free from artificial colours, flavours and ...