Grocer back issues from February 2009:
Leader.(Report)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... New bosses always paint it black. Whether tacitly, or outspokenly, "it's going to take time to sort out the mess I inherited", has been inferred in the utterances of countless new chief executives, supply chain directors or supermarket managers, with the obvious exception of Sir Stuart ...
Hot topic.(beer duty fraud)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... "Business-threatening" was how one wholesaler recently described beer duty fraud. He reported that sales of some major beer brands were down 90% in the last quarter of 2008 as retailers bought cheaper cases from traders who had avoided paying duty. Try telling him ...
Unilever just first of many to feel freeze, warn City analysts.(news)(Unilever Group. Food and Beverages Div.)(Financial report)
Feb 07, 2009; ... As the UK suffered its biggest freeze in decades, analysts warned that Unilever's results heralded a "chill Siberian wind" for the top global food and drink suppliers. Despite revealing that disposals and currency changes had helped boost net profits for 2008 by 28% to 5.3bn ...
Grocery: it's snow problem.(news)(Waitrose Ltd.)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The snow was good news, at least, for ambient grocery. "I've got a great big cheery grin on my face. Customers are stocking up on ...
Iceland set to buy up Baugur stake.(news)(Iceland Foods PLC)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Iceland Foods' management is being tipped to buy Baugur's 13.5% share in its business. BG Holdings, which has been placed into administration by one of its creditors, Icelandic bank Landsbanki, owns a 13.5% stake in Iceland Foods. "Iceland is ...
Mezzanines shelved as Tesco wrings out costs.(news)(Tesco Stores Ltd.)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Tesco is understood to have scrapped plans for new mezzanine floors as it seeks to cut costs "in every orifice of the business". Shore Capital analyst Clive Black told The Grocer that in the final days before Tesco's accounting year finishes on 28 February, Tesco is being ...
Shoppers pay 46% more for cucumbers.(PICTURE THIS)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shoppers are paying almost 46% more for cucumbers this month as a result of a reduced harvest in Spain. The increase, revealed in The Grocer 33, comes as some growers in Spain have reported a 20%-40% reduction in crops, the result of cold temperatures ...
Customs plans blitz on beer duty fraud.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... A Customs boss has pledged a crackdown on black market beer following pressure from wholesalers and the drinks industry. HMRC is devising a new alcohol strategy that will include a blitz on duty fraud on beer, to be announced by the Chancellor in the forthcoming Budget. ...
Profit slumps at struggling Bakkavor.(news)(Financial report)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ready-meals maker Bakkavor continues to struggle with the grim economic climate as it revealed this week a full-year fall in operating profit from 149m [pounds sterling] to 109m [pounds sterling]. The fall reveals significant margin pressure, ...
Thrifty shoppers grow budget line sales 33%.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sales of budget own-label products were up 33% for the 12 weeks to 27 December, as shoppers tried to slash their food bills with cheap groceries, new research from analyst Nielsen reveals. The dramatic increase in budget own-label lines is in contrast to growth of just 5% for ...
Innocent and Daniels Group eye Sunjuice own-label operation.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Innocent Drinks and New Covent Garden owner Daniels Group have been tipped to buy parts of smoothie and own-label juice supplier Sunjuice, a subsidiary of Serious Food Ltd, which went into administration last week. Innocent uses the Cardiff Sunjuice plant for the bottling and ...
Brown in early payment call to multiples.(news)(Gordon Brown)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... The Government will continue to press supermarkets to pay its suppliers earlier and to source products from developing countries at a fair price, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. Responding to a question by Andrew George MP during Prime Minister's Question Time on ...
Southern in bid to take on Woolies sites.(news)(Southern Co-operatives)(Woolworths Group PLC)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Southern Co-operatives is continuing its aggressive expansion plans by buying former Woolworths sites. The society, which has more than 100 food stores in Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex and Wiltshire, is understood ...
Waitrose axes DVDs to make space for more home cooking.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Waitrose is to ditch its DVDs and CDs in favour of increasing its selection of home cooking products. Waitrose's home entertainment sales have straggled in the six years since it began selling them because "it can't compete on price" with supermarkets such as Tesco, a source ...
Morrisons to adopt 6m [pounds sterling] stock system.(news)(contract with Zetes )(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Morrisons has signed a 6m [pounds sterling] deal for an automated voice-picking system. Following a three-month pilot at Morrisons' frozen distribution centre in Corby, technology company Zetes will install automatic voice-activated identification computers and headsets ...
Rising costs take toll on McBride profits.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... McBride has reported a halving of pre-tax profits during the second half of last year. On sales up r4% to 392.2m [pounds sterling], the own-label personal care and household products manufacturer reported a 55% decline in pretax profit to 5m [pounds sterling] for the six months ...
Tesco clothes online.(ON OUR WEBSITE)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Tesco is to launch an online clothes store ...
Co-op co-opts Corrie.(ON OUR WEBSITE)
Feb 07, 2009 ... The Co-operative Group will take out the entire ad break of Monday's Coronation ...
Irn-Bru rugby deal.(ON OUR WEBSITE)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Irn-Bru has become the official drink sponsor of the Rugby League until ...
Amazon says move into grocery is fiction.(news)(Amazon.co.uk Ltd.)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Online bookseller Amazon has put paid to speculation that it will branch into food delivery. Responding to rumours that Amazon would extend its US bulk-buy ambient grocery offer to Britain, UK MD Brian McBride said the company had "enough on its plate". Last year it launched new ...
Woolies probe launched by administrator.(news)(Woolworths Group PLC)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Angry Woolworths' grocery suppliers have been told by administrators they are "highly unlikely" to get paid. Administrator Deloitte has launched an investigation after creditors complained that the company should have been put into ...
Shoppers putting local produce before organic.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Shoppers are sticking to their ethical principles when it comes to Fairtrade and locally sourced food--but organic food seems to be losing its appeal. The number of British shoppers who buy ethical food--including Fairtrade and locally sourced--has increased since 2006, a new ...
Green group raps supermarkets over impact of HFC refrigeration.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Supermarkets have been slammed for the massive global warming impact of their refrigeration. The Environmental Investigation Agency ranked retailers according to their efforts to modernise their equipment and prevent damaging leaks. Marks & Spencer came out top in ...
Paypoint set to offer c-store parcel pick-up.(news)(joint venture with Home Delivery Network)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Consumers will be able to pick up or return parcels at c-stores following the launch of a joint venture between PayPoint and Home Delivery Network. HDN will drop off parcels at c-stores with a PayPoint terminal if they are unable to deliver the parcel to a home address. ...
Odd-sized jeans fit the bill with shoppers.(PICTURE THIS ...)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Asda claims there has been huge demand for its mid-size jeans that have gone on sale for 12 [pounds sterling] in 75 stores this week. The launch of the size 11, 13, and 15 jeans follows a survey ...
Camelot switch-over for 27,600 lottery machines.(news)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Camelot got the ball rolling on its third National Lottery licence last weekend by closing its 27,600 terminals for an upgrade. Terminals were down for 24 hours for the system upgrade, which Camelot claimed was one of the largest-ever lottery switch-overs. It has replaced gaming ...
An antitrust hearing looking into Whole Foods Market's acquisition of Wild Oats has been delayed until 6 March to give the retailer and the Federal Trade Commission an opportunity to reach a settlement.(USA)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... An antitrust hearing looking into Whole Foods Market's acquisition of Wild Oats has been delayed until 6 March to give the retailer and the Federal Trade Commission an opportunity to reach a settlement. The case follows an earlier FTC ...
Sears Holdings, owner of Kmart and Sears stores, has announced 300 corporate job losses.(USA)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Sears Holdings, owner of Kmart and Sears stores, has announced 300 corporate job losses. The redundancies account for 4.3% of its 6,900 office staff and will be made at its headquarters in Illinois and offices in Michigan and New York. The redundancies follow similar moves by ...
Wal-Mart's new Indian chain will not bear the Wal-Mart name.(INDIA)(Bharti Enterprises )(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Wal-Mart's new Indian chain will not bear the Wal-Mart name. The retailer and its partner Bharti Enterprises have announced the chain of cash & carry stores will be called BestPrice Modern Wholesale. Indian analysts said they were ...
European supermarket chains are looking to invest in Poland as migrant workers return home.(POLAND)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... European supermarket chains are looking to invest in Poland as migrant workers return home. Investment in the Polish market by multiple retailers is set to reach 600m [pounds sterling] over the coming year. The largest spender is reported to be discount chain Biedronka, which is looking to ...
Discount supermarket chain Colruyt has reported a slowdown in sales growth during the third quarter, despite strong Christmas trading.(BELGIUM)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Discount supermarket chain Colruyt has reported a slowdown in sales growth during the third quarter, despite strong Christmas trading. The retailer reported sales of 1.68bn [pounds sterling] for October to December, just above analysts' estimates. Food ...
Wal-Mart has launched a series of TV and radio advertisements to mark Black History Month.(US)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Wal-Mart has launched a series of TV and radio advertisements to mark Black History Month. Customers will be able to pick ...
Makro delists Carlsberg line in row over 5 [pounds sterling] deal.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Makro and Carlsberg are at loggerheads after the cash & carry giant pulled 275ml bottles of Carlsberg Export from its shelves in protest against heavy discounts on the brand in supermarkets. Carlsberg Export had lost its equity in pubs since supermarkets slashed the price of 18 ...
Budgens to get premium grocery line.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Musgrave Retail Partners GB)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Musgrave Retail Partners GB is gearing up to launch premium lines in Budgens as the wholesaler overhauls its own-label ranges. Musgrave GB, which splits its own-label range into the categories Good, Better and Best, has trademarked the name ...
Landmark posts full-year growth of 4.7%.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Landmark Wholesale)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Landmark Wholesale has defied the economic gloom by posting a 4.7% increase in full-year sales. The figure, which tromps the 4% increase posted last year, reflected the performance of Landmark's top 80 suppliers from January to December 2008. Chilled & frozen was the ...
Nearby wrapped up.(Nearby Stores)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Administrators acting for independent retail chain Nearby Stores sold off the last of the ...
Select & Save results.
Feb 07, 2009 ... Symbol group Select & Save announced that its turnover rose ...
Responsible awards.(CJ Lang)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Scottish Spar retailer CJ Lang & Son has won two awards from the licensed retailer ...
Morrice joins David Sands as non-exec.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Stanley Morrice)(David Sands Supermarkets)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Stanley Morrice, former MD of McLeish Brothers, the upmarket Scottish deli chain that slipped into administration last month, has been appointed as a non-executive director of independent convenience store group David Sands. Morrice will advise the Kinross-based business on a ...
Can businesses survive the big credit insurance lockout? The withdrawal of credit insurance has hit suppliers hard. But it doesn't necessarily spell the end for a company.(analysis: CREDIT INSURANCE)
Feb 07, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the space of months, trade credit insurance has gone from a dull-but-worthy fact of business to a critical survival issue for companies across the food and drink sector as cover is pulled from company after company. The situation has become ...
Sunjuice: squeezed out by the commodities crunch? A dramatic rise in citrus prices has been blamed for the collapse of Sunjuice, the UK's largest own-label juice drinks supplier.(analysis: SUNJUICE)
Feb 07, 2009; ... The situation at Serious Food Ltd could scarcely have been more serious. On Wednesday 28 January the company was placed in administration and 129 of the 400-plus staff were given p45s. Owned by Jamaica Producers Group, a Jamaican-based group whose subsidiaries include shipping ...
Cucumbers soar in price as bananas and apples crash: apples, bananas and grapes are feeling the retail price squeeze but cucumbers and mushrooms have soared in price in the past month.(analysis: RETAIL & COMMODITY PRICES)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Despite supermarkets ramping up their fresh produce promotions and offering more value lines, mushroom suppliers at least have been given a reprieve in the ongoing supermarket price squeeze. Loose closed cup mushrooms have experienced sizeable price increases of 16.4% ...
Trading data.(analysis: RETAIL & COMMODITY PRICES)(Statistical table)
Feb 07, 2009 ... <Pre> % CHANGE % CHANGE PRICE [pounds sterling] KEY COMMODITIESW-O-W Y-O-Y Skimmed milk powder ...
Spot-on staff win the week for Waitrose.(SERVICE)(Paul Soane)(Interview)
Feb 07, 2009; ... A full trolley, no queues and "excellent" staff helped Waitrose in Lewes net our top store award, in a week where availability and customer service was a mixed bag. Our shopper was particularly impressed with one assistant who not only escorted her to the Peperami, but then ...
Availability.(analysis: THE GROCER 33)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... ASDA Ipswich Date: 30 Jan 2009 Time in shop: 94 mins Time at till: 5 rains Not stocked: 0 OUT OF STOCK: 5 MORRISONS Eccles Date: 30 Jan 2009 Time in shop: 68 mins ...
Asda 3 [pounds sterling] cheaper than Morrisons.(PRICES)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Asda has maintained its cheapest retailer position for a whopping five weeks, undercutting nearest rival Morrisons by more than 3 [pounds sterling]. The clear win was helped by the retailer's eight promotions, 27 of the cheapest or joint-cheapest items, no price hikes and two ...
Own-label fruit scones (4-pack or 6-pack).(QUALITY TEST)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At less than 85p for each pack, the difference in quality between the companies' scones was surprising. The Asda (**) scones were dry, floury, and meagre on fruit, though the dough had a pleasing enough taste. The texture of the Sainsbury's (***) offering ...
Co-op and Aldi are of like minds.(ADVERTISING)(The Co-operative Group)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Interesting parallels can be drawn between recent advertising from The Co-operative Group and Aldi. While the big four have been advertising heavily in recent months, in the four weeks to 18 January their spend rose a comparatively modest 8% year-on-year. In contrast, the ...
Chicago town is tuck in the middle with you.(AD OF THE WEEK)(Chicago Town Pizza Co.)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... It's debatable whether microwave pizza really counts as traditional Italian cuisine, but there are unquestionably advertising cliches in flogging the stuff that are as timeless as the Eternal City or its interminable traffic jams. This column therefore lauds any ad for Italian ...
Wine at the top spot for nine weeks.(PROMO DYNAMIC)
Feb 07, 2009; ... The cost of cocoa is at an all-time high, and Easter is still nine weeks away, but confectionery deals have rocketed the category back into the top 10 promotional rankings this week, shooting from 13th place to 2nd. With 80 offers, confectionery had more than double last week's ...
Can free market trade ever be fair trade? Long-term trading relationships with buyers are needed to protect farmers in the developing world.(THE SATURDAY ESSAY)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Years of growing vegetables for supermarkets taught me that the free market can be a harsh place for small producers. Distant producers are even more vulnerable so is Fairtrade certification the answer? Can ethics be measured, certified and delivered to customers 3,000 miles away who want ...
Small can be beautiful when done carefully: reducing the size of a product offers suppliers and retailers advantages, but there can be pitfalls.(THIRD PARTY)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Who hasn't commented on the diminutive size of Wagon Wheels compared with childhood memories of them? Manufacturers reducing the size of their products is a feature of many sectors and is particularly prevalent in confectionary, snacks and alcohol. There's more behind the trend ...
Nanny's no good for our diets: regulatory ideals are unattainable and breed distrust in government.(SECOND OPINION)(Viewpoint essay)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Full marks to Andy Bond for reminding celebrity chefs and other evangelical reformers of the national diet that millions of ordinary people have more basic priorities when doing their weekly food shop. Worries about the environment, chickens' welfare and the like are fine if you can afford ...
Critical eye.(comment & opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
Feb 07, 2009; ... "I don't usually get home in time to watch Watchdog but caught the end of this week's programme (7.30, BBE1, 2 February) just as it launched into an 'investigation' into supermarkets. Not that it was much of an investigation. In a move as unlikely as Sir Terry Leahy switching ...
[Cartoon].(comment & opinion)
Feb 07, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There was no shortage of volunteers to sit on ...
Banks refusing to lend to SMEs.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sir, The Forum of Private Business is extremely concerned that the banks are still not lending adequately to small businesses ('Wholesalers forced to chase payments from independents', The Grocer, 31 January, p4). Maintaining any kind of cash-flow is increasingly difficult ...
Great packaging? Include HDPE!(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sir, In your feature on the top 10 packaging innovations of the past 100 years (The Grocer, 31 January, p40) one material was omitted despite being the most popular choice for one of the UK's staple weekly grocery items. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles came to the ...
British pigmeat is an ugly business.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sir, If you believed Jamie Oliver, you would think British 'good' and Europe 'bad' when it comes to pig farming ('Jamie's bacon crusade goes easy on multiples', The Grocer, 24 January, p5). Despite his programme on Channel 4, the sad reality is that almost all pig farming in Britain is ...
Unequal levels of commission.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sir, On my leave on Christmas Day, I stopped at a BP garage in Mill Hill, London, to top up a mobile. The attendant pointed out that if I spent 20 [pounds sterling] on top-up, on any network, I would get a gold car wash for free that's three-star and worth 8 ...
In touch with the common man.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 07, 2009; ... Sir, I read Andy Bond's guest editorial comment with great interest (The Grocer, 31 January, p3). I can't say that l recognised his description of Asda, or any other supermarket, as a passive participant in the food business unable to do anything beyond responding to the demands of the ...
Five most read.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)
Feb 07, 2009 ... 1. Tesco strips out casts as it races towards financial year-end 2. Andy Bond in The Grocer hot seat 3. Gordon Ramsay faces viewer ...
Your comments.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)(Quotation)
Feb 07, 2009 ... "It's a shame Gordon swears so much but I worked in catering all my life and bad ...
Last week's poll.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)(Survey)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... Suppliers claim sales at farm shops have fallen by 15%-20% recently. Is it because their produce is too expensive? Is it ...
This week's poll.(FROM THEGROCER.CO.UK)(Survey)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009 ... You may have noticed that it snowed a fair bit last week, disrupting supply chains and keeping shoppers indoors. What was the impact on your ...
Another relaunch for iconic brand Sunny D.(news: FOOD & DRINK)(Sunny Delight Beverage Company)(Brief article)
Feb 07, 2009; ... The Sunny Delight Beverage Company has overhauled its iconic Sunny D drinks brand for the second time in less than two years in an attempt to reengage with mums and their kids. After slashing the sugar levels and updating the packaging in July 2007, it has now ditched all ...