A price cap on bread and milk? SNP plan is unnecessary and unworkable April 17, 2026 The SNP has pledged to cap the price of bread but why? Poor people can afford the essentials and supermarket margins are tiny.
M&S Sparks rewards overhauled as retailer offers cash perks April 16, 2026 Marks & Spencer has overhauled its Sparks card reward scheme using AI after shoppers demanded cash perks instead of the existing points-based system. The upmarket food and clothing giant said it is responding to consumer criticism of its loyalty scheme by offering “personalisation and pounds, not points and tricksy pricing”. The Sparks Card had faced [...]
Supermarket bosses meet Rachel Reeves amid dire food inflation warning April 1, 2026 The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets met Chancellor Rachel Reeves in emergency cost of living talks on Wednesday, amid warnings that food inflation could rise to double digits this year. Leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons attended Downing Street after efforts to gather industry bosses last week were abandoned amid concerns [...]
Reeves must listen to supermarkets rather than lecture them April 1, 2026 Supermarkets begin preparing for Christmas at least six months before the anticipated peak of customer demand hits around December 23. Catering for this entirely predictable surge is in itself an astonishing commercial and logistical feat, but a little over six years ago the UK’s supermarkets were in the midst of an unprecedented challenge. As pandemic [...]
Reeves summons supermarket bosses again after snub March 31, 2026 Rachel Reeves has summoned supermarket bosses for a Downing Street meeting on Wednesday after being snubbed last week. The new meeting will be attended by executives at Sainsbury’s and Tesco but bosses at Asda, Aldi and John Lewis will miss out, supposedly due to diary clashes. The Chancellor hastily invited grocery executives to a meeting [...]
Chinese online retailer takes on Amazon March 16, 2026 Chinese retail giant JD.com has mounted a challenge to Amazon’s control of the home-delivery market with its UK launch of online shop Joybuy. The platform will offer big-name brands including Apple, Samsung and Lego and is taking on Amazon’s reputation for speedy delivery with its “Double 11” promise – meaning orders placed before 11am will [...]
Thousands of Tesco staff to pocket £134m windfall March 3, 2026 Thousands of staff at retail giant Tesco could pocket proceeds from a £134m windfall as part of its employee investor scheme. The supermarket group said more than 22,000 of its staff are eligible for significant payouts from the pot, which is part of its save-as-you-earn investor scheme. The pay boost for frontline workers follows Tesco’s [...]
Sainsbury’s could slash 300 jobs in head office shakeup February 26, 2026 Retail giant Sainsbury’s could axe up to 300 jobs as it overhauls its tech and head office teams across its supermarket and Argos operations. The grocery is restructuring its technology and data unit into one dedicated team for Argos and two for Sainsbury’s. The firm, which employs around 140,000 people, announced it would cut 3,000 [...]
Weight-loss drugs to slow supermarket sales February 25, 2026 Weight-loss drugs are set to slim down supermarket sales in the UK as more Brits opt for diet-conscious shopping, a City broker has warned. The growth rate of supermarket sales is expected to slow this year due to the increasing popularity of diet-suppressant jabs, population growth and falling food inflation, according to a note from [...]
That’s why mums go to adland: Retailers’ big media drive January 15, 2026 With an abundance of information about their customers at their fingertips, some of the UK’s largest retailers are looking and behaving increasingly like media agencies, writes Ali Lyon Having a baby tends to be a highly personal journey. Conscious of the all-important three-month miscarriage cut-off, many wannabe parents will, quite understandably, think painstakingly about who [...]