Aldi debt jumps by £100m as profit slips at discount grocer Retail Aldi took on more than £100m in net debt last year, as the discount grocer’s profit slipped despite its blockbuster expansion plans. The supermarket chain, the UK’s fourth largest, saw its net debt grow by a fifth in 2025, from £717m to £862m. Aldi’s jump in debt comes despite the grocer’s plans to expand rapidly [...]
Aldi says rival supermarkets pushing up prices as shoppers feel pinch Retail The boss of discount grocer Aldi has accused its rivals of driving growth by raising food prices, as the supermarket committed to fending off “persistent” price inflation. Giles Hurley, chief executive of the UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket, hit out at the grocer’s competitors, insisting that Aldi is the only operator whose prices have fallen year-on-year. He [...]
Aldi to invest £900m in new stores after record turnover Retail Aldi is set to spend £900m opening new stores next year, as the discount grocer warned the Iran war and droughts were pushing up the “pressures” facing households. The UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket said it is seeing record sales growth because of its “relentless focus” on low prices, amid fears that the cost of food could [...]
Tesco’s slow retreat from Europe is depressing September 24, 2026 Working with Tesco can be both a blessing and a curse, a relative of mine, who used to work in wine sales in Australia, recently told me. Some winemakers who struck deals with the British supermarket, one of the world’s biggest purchasers of wine, would quickly be rolling in cash, such were the size and [...]
Every Lidl helps: German grocer’s owner poised to snap up Tesco stores September 23, 2026 The owners of Lidl are among the front runners to snap up dozens of Tesco stores as the British supermarket chain seeks to offload some of its biggest subsidiaries. Schwarz Group is expected to submit an offer for Tesco’s Czech and Slovakian businesses, according to the Financial Times, after the FTSE 100 firm said it [...]
Marks and Spencer shares slide as investors brace for inflation hit September 16, 2026 Shares in Marks and Spencer have taken a dip as investors fear that rising inflation will push shoppers away from the upmarket grocer and towards its budget rivals. FTSE-100-listed M&S, whose food arm accounts for more than half of its revenue, dropped as much as four per cent on Wednesday to 357p. The share price [...]
Morrisons sales rise as debt-ridden grocer cuts costs September 16, 2026 Morrisons has toasted faster sales growth as the private-equity-owned grocer nears £1bn in savings as it races to trim its huge debt pile. The grocer saw like-for-like sales jump by 3.2 per cent to £1.4bn in the three months to the end of July, as its chief executive attributed this “stronger sales momentum” to the [...]
Iceland boss Richard Walker vows to set up shop on Falkland Islands September 4, 2026 The boss of Iceland has waded into the fresh row over the Falkland Islands, vowing to open a supermarket in the British territory. Lord Richard Walker, executive chairman of the retailer, wrote on LinkedIn: “We’ve been supporting the Great British high street for 50 years. “As we continue our international expansion programme, we are committed [...]
Asda in ‘foothills of recovery’ as grocer returns to growth August 28, 2026 Asda has posted sales growth for the first time in more than two years, marking a “major milestone” in the turnaround led by Allan Leighton on his comeback at the grocer. The discount supermarket saw like-for-like sales excluding fuel grow by 0.2 per cent in the seven weeks to mid-August. Like-for-like food sales jumped by [...]
October Budget could be a ‘tipping point,’ Asda boss warns Burnham August 28, 2026 Andy Burnham’s first Budget in October could be a “tipping point” for British businesses and the economy, the chair of supermarket giant Asda has warned. Allan Leighton, who is attempting to push through a turnaround of the grocer, said it is “too early to tell” whether the government is committed to halting the rise of [...]