Grocer back issues from March 2009:
"The competition test has been left in tatters by Tesco's stunning appeal victory".(Leader)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Who's the biggest loser in this week's historic ruling by the Competition Appeals Tribunal (see PS)? Tesco's rivals? UK shoppers? Or chief commissioner Peter 'Gordon' Freeman and his sidekicks at the Competition Commission? At least the winner is easy. It's a huge boost for ...
Up to half the lines in latest 'Rollback' offer just 1p saving.(news)(ASDA Group Ltd.'s price cut)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Asda might be rolling back prices every day, but many of them aren't rolling all that far, as research by The Grocer reveals up to half Asda's price cuts are only 1p reductions. Last week Asda announced that it would cut a further 5,000 prices by Easter, reaching a total of ...
... But pennies pull in the punters.(news)(company sales of ASDA Group Ltd. and Morrisons)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Many of Asda's Rollbacks may just be for a penny, but its strategy certainly appears to be working as the latest data from Nielsen showed it had attracted 400,000 more shoppers in the past 12 weeks compared with the same period last year. Sales grew ahead of the market with 7.6% growth in ...
Premier plans to raise cash to pay off debt.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Premier Foods has confirmed it will raise 404m [pounds sterling] from shareholders and private equity investors to pay off debt, as predicted by The Grocer last week. The cash, raised through a rights issue, forms part of Premier's strategy to tackle investors' and lenders' ...
Fury at 'misleading' cost estimate of display bun.(news)(tobacco products ban)
Mar 07, 2009; ... The Department of Health has come in for fierce criticism over a briefing document to peers this week suggesting the cost of implementing a tobacco display ban could be as little as 120 [pounds sterling]--and 210 [pounds sterling] at most. Its estimates fall well short of the ...
Bakkavor complains of supplier reaction.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Bakkavor has accused some of its suppliers of "opportunism" for seeking to improve their trading terms in the wake of trade credit insurance downgrades. Some suppliers to Bakkavor, the country's second-biggest ready meals manufacturer, have asked for cash on delivery while ...
Sainsbury's deal.(ON THE WEB)(Co-op Group's stores acquired)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Sainsbury's has bought 24 stores from The Co-op Group for 83m [pounds sterling]. The ...
C&C forecasts storms.(ON THE WEB)
Mar 07, 2009 ... C&C Group has predicted a 13% slump in full-year UK sales for 2008-09, ...
A sweet moment.(ON THE WEB)(PureCircle recevies approval for its sugar substitutes)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... PureCircle has obtained FDA approval for the first natural high-intensity sugar substitute, and has ...
Inquiry 'undermined' by Tesco's test victory.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Tesco's victorious appeal against the 'competition test' this week has left the Competition Commission with egg on its face and undermined the overall outcome of the whole groceries market inquiry. This is the view of the ACS, after the Competition Appeals Tribunal upheld an ...
Delays to loan insurance plan sparks anger.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Government has come under fire for delays to its loan support scheme to restart lending to small and medium businesses. When Lord Mandelson announced the scheme in January, it was cautiously welcomed by food industry bodies such as the Food ...
Scots will go on 'booze cruise' to fight the ban.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Carlisle could become the next Calais and Belfast the next Boulogne if the Scottish Government's crackdown on alcohol comes to pass. That's the prediction of retailers and wholesalers north and south of the border, who believe Scottish shoppers would flock into England and even ...
Riverford founder eyes Peckham for new 'community' restaurant.(news)(Guy Watson plans to open a restaurant)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Riverford Organic Vegetables founder Guy Watson plans to open an affordable 'community' restaurant in South London, The Grocer can exclusively reveal. A site for the restaurant, which Watson hopes to open in the summer, has already been earmarked in Peckham. The site was chosen ...
The Seafood Company buys Pinneys.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Foodvest subsidiary The Seafood Company has purchased Pinneys of Scotland from Uniq in a deal that will take its share of UK chilled seafood to 40%. The acquisition of the fresh and smoked salmon supplier was backed by Lion Capital and is subject to employee consultation. ...
Centre studies the diet and disease link.(news)(functional food center opened)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The UK's first dedicated functional food centre has opened at Oxford Brookes University. The centre will study the relationship between diet and chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity, which are growing in ...
Now Waitrose rolls out own-label range for budget shoppers.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Waitrose is launching a new own-label range to broaden its appeal with credit-crunched shoppers. The 1,400-strong Essential Waitrose range, which hits shelves on Monday, is its biggest-ever product launch and will be priced below other Waitrose labels but above the big four's ...
Morrisons set to report 629m [pounds sterling] profit.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Morrisons and Waitrose are expected to return favourable end-of-year results next week. Analysts Blue Oar predicted Morrisons would announce "ahead-of-consensus" profit of 629m [pounds sterling] on Thursday. TNS and Nielsen ...
Industry bosses fear trading will worsen.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Almost half of the UK's top food and drink bosses believe trading conditions are likely to deteriorate dramatically during the recession, according to new research. The Deloitte Food and Beverage 2012 report, shown exclusively to The Grocer, revealed that 48% expected the ...
Dairy Milk Fairtrade.(ON OUR WEBSITE)(Cadbury plans for new logo)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Cadbury plans to sell its top-selling Dairy Milk bars under the Fairtrade logo from ...
Lunch at M&S for 2 [pounds sterling].(ON OUR WEB)
Mar 07, 2009 ... M&S has launched a 2 [pounds sterling] lunch promotion, ...
Glanbia profit soars.(ON OUR WEB)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Irish dairy specialist Glanbia has reported pretax profit before exceptionals up 21% to 120m ...
Tesco raises level of pension payments.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Tesco managers on its final salary pension scheme have been told they will have to pay 10% of earnings in pension contributions in the wake of a three-yearly review by trustees of Tesco's pension scheme. The scheme's deficit was put at 275m [pounds sterling], up from 153m ...
Welsh herald 'UK's largest farm shop'.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Welsh family is claiming to have opened the UK's largest farm shop. The 8,000 sq ft Cwmcerrig Farm Shop on the Watkins family's Camarthenshire sheep farm took four months and cost 900,000 [pounds sterling] to build and opened this week. It ...
Bargain Booze profits from growth of mults.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Bargain Booze claims the growth of Tesco Express has helped it to expand its own stores as independent retailers seek a value symbol group that competes on price. The company has opened 60 stores in the past year, many of which it said had come about as independents converted to ...
Town and County Markets puts returns policy on show in stalls.(news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... The UK's biggest operator of traditional markets has introduced a returns policy to reassure cautious shoppers unsure of their rights. Traders at the 35 sites run by Town and Country Markets have been sent a letter asking them to display a sign that confirms shoppers can ask ...
General Mills stays in the Top 100 list.(news)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
Mar 07, 2009 ... General Mills UK is now the only food and drink player among the Sunday Times' Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For, after Innocent and Brita, on last year's list, were knocked off. Employees said that the company did a lot for its local community and they have ...
"I pity the fool who doesn't get the grocer'.(PICTURE THIS ...)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even we were surprised to find The Grocer's reach extended to 80s icon Mr T. The former A-Team star paused on his Snickers UK promotional tour to catch the latest foodie news--and revealed haw he ...
Waitrose signs up to new food info website.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Waitrose has become the first food retailer to sign up to food information website Whatsmybrand.com. The site, which launches in May, will allow shoppers to search for and compare food and drink products and brands that "match their individual needs"--dietary, nutritional or ...
Wal-Mart is to pull its Sam's Club business out of Canada with the loss of 1,200 jobs and is in talks with an unnamed US retailer to sell the sites.(CANADA)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Wal-Mart is to pull its Sam's Club business out of Canada with the loss of 1,200 jobs and is in talks with an unnamed US retailer to sell the sites. "Despite our best efforts and the commendable work of our Sam's Club associates, our six clubs have not met our expectations," said Wal-Mart ...
Coles suppliers have reported being asked for payments of up to 20% of the value of the goods supplied in an effort by the retailer to reportedly claw back &500m (228m [pounds sterling]).(AUSTRALIA)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Coles suppliers have reported being asked for payments of up to 20% of the value of the goods supplied in an effort by the retailer to reportedly claw back &500m (228m [pounds sterling]). Suppliers claim they have not been offered increased sales or any incentive for the requested ...
The Chinese ministry of health has described the country's food safety standards as "grim" as legislation designed to prevent another poisoning scandal was announced this week.(CHINA)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... The Chinese ministry of health has described the country's food safety standards as "grim" as legislation designed to prevent another poisoning scandal was announced this week. In the wake of last year's melamine scandal, which killed six babies and made 300,000 sick, new laws are being ...
Ahold has reported fourth-quarter pre-tax profit of 285m [euro] (255m [pounds sterling]) as sales rose 12.8% to 6.6bn [euro] (5.92bn [pounds sterling]).(THE NETHERLANDS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Ahold has reported fourth-quarter pre-tax profit of 285m [euro] (255m [pounds sterling]) as sales rose 12.8% to 6.6bn [euro] (5.92bn [pounds sterling]). Sales for the full year were up 3.3% to 25.7bn [euro] (23bn [pounds sterling]), with 1.08bn [euro] (970m [pounds sterling]) pre-tax ...
X5 Retail Group has completed its rebranding of Perekryostak hypermarkets under the Karusel banner following nearly three years of integration.(RUSSIA)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... X5 Retail Group has completed its rebranding of Perekryostak hypermarkets under the Karusel banner following nearly three years of integration. "Now we have rebranded all ...
Bag drive by Booths cuts usage in half.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Booths has almost halved the number of plastic carrier bags used by its shoppers since 2006. The northern supermarket chain said it had cut usage by 48.5% in the past three years and was on target to hit 50% by May this year. It gave out 15 ...
Booker targets 1,000 new Premier retailers.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Booker is relaunching its Premier fascia in a bid to become "the UK's biggest and best symbol group" and convert 1,000 new retailers to the cause. The cash & carry giant is re-classifying its 2,250 Premier stores as small, medium or large and introducing a core offer of 500 of ...
Makro to use Love the Pub as blueprint for future campaigns.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Makro is planning to launch a series of campaigns targeting other customer groups in the wake of its success with on-trade programme Love the Pub. The campaign would be used as a blueprint for further activity, Makro MD Hannes Floto revealed to The Grocer. "We're working on our ...
MRH eyes up forecourt acquisitions.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Forecourt operator MRH (GB) is planning to hit the acquisition trail this year. The company, which formed in 2007 to acquire Malthurst Group and Pace Petroleum, said despite petrol volatility it would continue to look for profitable acquisitions. "The group is well ...
Profits down at CJ Lang, but space up.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Scottish wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang & Son's profits fell by 135,000 [pounds sterling] in the year to April 2008, according to results posted at Companies House. Despite a 2.8% increase in turnover to 255.4m [pounds sterling], the company's pre-tax profits dropped to 4.9m ...
Brakes targets food-to-go demand with Bake & Bite concept.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Brakes has unveiled a new Subway-style in-store cafe concept to tap into growing demand for food-to-go in convenience stores. The Bake & Bite cafe features a glass-fronted sandwich counter to enable consumers to design their own sandwiches and watch as they are made. It also ...
Numbers up as CRS proves a big success.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The recession didn't deter crowds from flocking to the Convenience Retailing Show this week, with attendance up on last year. The Cafe+ area proved particularly popular, where companies such as Subway and PepsiCo gave presentations on ...
Cook joins in voucher trend via local press.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Cook is planning to capitalise on the resurgence of money-off food vouchers by launching its own money-saving offer. The frozen ready meals retailer will offer 30% off everything in its 32 stores for one week only. The vouchers have been printed in local papers in ...
Cadbury takes title.
Mar 07, 2009 ... Cadbury was named Supplier of the Year at the Bestway ...
Beverages by post.
Mar 07, 2009 ... Specialist tea and coffee retailer Ringtons has closed its ...
For one day only.(Hancocks Cash and Carry's promotional program)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Specialist confectionery wholesaler Hancocks is holding a One Day Mega Deals promotional programme at ...
Bellevue celebrates 40 years--all year.(news: WHOLESALERS & INDEPENDENTS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... Bellevue cash & carry is holding a year of promotions to mark its 40th anniversary. Throughout the year, the Edinburgh and Stifling depots will be staging regular one-day promotions labelled 'Ruby Tuesday'. The Bellevue Exhibition, to be held at the Edinburgh depot on ...
Floto vows to see off critics with a new focus for Makro; why hasn't Metro Group had the same success in the UK that it has elsewhere in the world? And can it reverse Makro's fortunes.(analysis: MAKRO)(Financial report)
Mar 07, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is Makro suffering an identity crisis? Despite being part of Metro Group--one of the biggest, most successful cash & carry operators in the world life at the UK wholesaler has been somewhat of a straggle. Accounts at Companies House show the ...
Schofield upbeat as Premier reveals its debt-defying plan; Premier has unveiled plans to handle its debt by raising 404m [pounds sterling of finance. Is it enough to mark a turning point for the company.(analysis: PREMIER)(Financial report)
Mar 07, 2009; ... It's like anyone who spent a little too much when times were good and credit rolled freely. Premier Foods--and its chief executive Robert Schofield--often gives the impression it would rather everyone spent less time talking about debt and a bit more time talking about the rest of its ...
'Chaos on carrot' as fruit & veg import prices rise again; the British season can't come soon enough for cash-strapped shoppers as imported fresh produce prices continue to rise.(analysis: RETAIL & COMMODITY PRICES)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Fresh produce lovers may have to wait for British crops to come into season before the price of key staples starts to come down. The cost of items such as carrots, broccoli and cucumbers has risen significantly over the last month, and producers are warning further price ...
Trading data.(analysis: RETAIL & COMMODITY PRICES)(Statistical table)
Mar 07, 2009 ... <Pre> TRADING DATA % CHANGE % CHANGE PRICE[pounds sterling] KEY COMMODITIES W-O-W Y-O-Y ...
Tesco's new green store impresses.(SERVICE)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Competition was tough this week with two retailers boasting strong availability. However Tesco's new green store in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, netted our top store award thanks to a polite checkout assistant and a shorter queue than at nearest rival Sainsbury's. Our shopper ...
Winner: Simon Renwick, store manager, Tesco, Cheetham Hill.(analysis: THE GROCER 33)(Interview)
Mar 07, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How is your green store different to other Tesco branches? We only opened in January. The concept is unique to Tesco and the store was built after several trials at branches around the country. Refrigeration systems include chillers that use ...
Availability.(analysis: THE GROCER 33)(supermarkets inventory data)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... ASDA Robin Park, Wigan Date: 26 Feb 2009 Time in shop: 70 mins Time at till: 11 mins Not stocked: 0 OUT OF STOCK: 4 MORRISONS Burton upon Trent Date: 27 Feb 2009 Time in ...
Morrisons lags 1.76 [pounds sterling] behind Asda.(PRICES)(Company rankings)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Asda has secured the cheapest retailer title yet again, with its trolley costing 1.76 [pounds sterling] less than nearest rival Morrisons. Two offers ended resulting in hikes on McVitie's Jaffa Cakes by 43p and Gillette Series shaving gel by 88p. Two promotions started the ...
Frozen looks to healthier opportunities.(ADVERTISING)(McCain Foods Ltd. markets its frozen foods)
Mar 07, 2009; ... The mood in frozen food has been anything but icy recently as big spenders such as McCain significantly upped their spend and several quiet frozen brands joined the fray again. McCain spent 24% more in the four weeks to 8 February than in the same period last year in its drive ...
Ad of the week: welcome to the house of funky mums.(analysis: ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS)(Brief article)
Mar 07, 2009 ... When Carl Jung was penning his seminal opus on psychological archetypes, it's unlikely he was thinking of the 'funky mum' or 'surly teenager' upon which 95% of food and drink advertising is based--or the 'useless husband' and 'roller-skating, Labrador-petting career women who wants it ...
It's spring, and time to clean up.(PROMO DYNAMIC)(Statistical table)
Mar 07, 2009; ... No-one can accuse the UK's grocery retailers of being slow to cash in on a cliche, and spring cleaning is no exception. As March heralds the beginning of spring, the number of cleaning promotions has rocketed. Anyone planning to indulge in a spot of spring cleaning this week ...
It's time for a rethink of agrifood standards; the whole sector must move from procedure-based standards to outcome-based ones.(THE SATURDAY ESSAY)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Quality standards have become an accepted part of our lives, but has the agrifood industry become complacent about them? Typically the contents of standards are reviewed regularly, but rarely is any thought given to whether we are still taking the right approach to the standards themselves ...
Obsession with cheap is a dangerous game; grocery should learn from the travel trade and avoid bucket-shop tactics that damage brands.(THIRD PARTY)
Mar 07, 2009; ... What a pity that grocers have succumbed to the temptation to compete with discounters. Not only does the gutter brawl damage premium brand value, it is also based on the assumption that you have to pander to consumer perceptions. You don't. You need to challenge them. By ...
The FSA should ditch nannyism; it doesn't work-yet in its 5-a-day campaign there's a blueprint that does.(SECOND OPINION)(Column)
Mar 07, 2009; ... It isn't often I find myself in agreement with Joanna Blythman on anything to do with food, but her trenchant criticism of the FSA in this column last week is timely and to the point. Since its earliest days two quite separate and potentially conflicting strands of thinking have ...
Critical eye.(comment & opinion)
Mar 07, 2009; ... "What is it with the Victorians this week? We've had Jeremy Paxman waxing lyrical (and surprisingly engagingly) about what the paintings of the era tell us about Victorian society (9pm, BBC1, 1 March). We've had the movie premiere of The Young Victoria in Leicester Square (3 March). And ...
Ross Kemp: new reality TV series.(Cartoon)
Mar 07, 2009; ... It's my latest dangerous assignment ... Angry tribesmen, trading contraband, on the ...
Exporting isn't all short-term gain.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Sir, Sion Roberts made some good points in his article advising UK farmers not to be seduced by the lure of a 'quick buck' on exports (The Grocer, 28 February, p24). Certainly, long-term secure contractual arrangements, if obtainable, could have great benefits for all concerned ....
Fish stocks need retailers' support.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Sir, More than one billion people rely on fish for their food and livelihoods. With 75% offish stocks fully or over-exploited and predictions of global fisheries collapsing by 2048, urgent action must be taken. EU nations have signed up to a motion to eliminate pirate fishing; ...
Focus on careful use of marketing.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Sir, The economic downturn continues and marketing budgets are being cut to the greatest extent recorded in the history of the IPA Bellwether Report, so organisations must make better use of their remaining marketing spend. Every year, 20bn [pounds sterling]-25bn [pounds ...
Brands: now sing your own song.(LETTER OF THE WEEK)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 07, 2009; ... Sir, Asda's decision to axe up to 30% of branded items comes as little surprise to me and highlights the issue of whorl call karaoke branding (The Grocer, 28 February, p16). For more than a decade I have been warning that businesses that effectively ape the competition (or sit ...