Tesco loses out to Germans discounter Schwarz Beteiligungs in global market as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Seven and I remain on top November 3, 2014 Battered retailer Tesco is losing market share on the global stage as German discount chains continue to steal ground from the British giant, researchers at Euromonitor International said today. Tesco has now been bumped from fourth-largest retail chain in the world into fifth place by German value group Schwarz Beteiligungs. Its dominant position in the [...]
Pumpkin shortage threatens to ruin Halloween October 30, 2014 If you've left it until today to pick up a pumpkin to carve for Halloween, you might be out of luck. Owing to what farmers have described as the worst harvest in years, some shops have started reporting that they have sold out of the seasonal squash. Apparently it is this year's wet [...]
Is Waitrose boss Mark Price right that the Big Four supermarkets are “20 years out of date”? October 22, 2014 James McGregor, director of Retail Remedy, says Yes. Mark Price is correct that structural shifts in retail are a far bigger threat to the Big Four (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons) than Aldi and Lidl. Yes, the discounters are a problem, but they’re not the big problem. The main issue is that people’s grocery shopping [...]
Tesco share price rises as declines in its market share slows, while Waitrose reaches record high October 21, 2014 Tesco shares rose 2.2 percent in mid-morning trading after new figures showed while it has lost yet more market share, its rate of decline is slowing. while Waitrose has climbed to a record high, doing just enough to keep it ahead of German challengers Aldi and Lidl. The figures, by Kantar Worldpanel, also showed [...]
Waitrose trials chilled click-and-collect lockers October 17, 2014 Waitrose is trialling a new click-and-collect service that will allow customers to have groceries delivered to temperature controlled lockers in Tube stations and Gatwick Airport. The high-end supermarket has launched the lockers in two Tube stations – you'll have to make the trek to Chorleywood or Ickenham if you want to be among the [...]
The Bottle Opener: Why you shouldn’t overlook Rioja October 14, 2014 There are perks to being the Bottle Opener, and this is definitely one of them. I’m relaxing in the late Autumn sun, gazing across a rich vineyard down to the river Ebro. With me are two charming fifth generation descendants of the founder of one of Rioja’s great houses, and we are tasting some magnificent [...]
David vs Goliath? Why Tesco’s “Every Little Helps” is losing the battle for supermarket supremacy October 3, 2014 Like most of us, I’ve been watching the differing fortunes of Tesco and Aldi play out over the past few days. And it’s compulsive viewing, not least of all because we love the underdog. Plucky little Aldi with just 500 stores, takes on the might of Tesco and gives the goliath a bloody nose. Great [...]
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons: Have investors given up on supermarkets? October 1, 2014 Tesco's share price has fallen 3.4 per cent today. Wm Morrison's has declined by 5 per cent. Sainsbury's share price tumbled 6.6 per cent. Although they operate in the same sector, each of these three supermarkets is suffering its own problem. So what is happening? Tesco's well documented £250m black hole in its [...]
Cream of the crop: Gu founder James Averdieck talks Australia and rural fantasy September 28, 2014 It's the kind of story you wouldn’t necessarily believe: someone cooked up the idea of a chocolatey pudding company while sitting in a coffee shop in Belgium, eating brioche. But for James Averdieck, founder of Gu, that’s exactly what happened. Back in 2003, he was a marketer for dairy company St Ivel, working in Belgium [...]
Tesco loses more market share as supermarket sector slows to record low September 23, 2014 Growth in the supermarket sector has slowed to an all-time low, with Tesco once again losing market share to Asda, Aldi and Lidl. The troubled supermarket, which yesterday revealed a £250m black hole in its profits, saw its market share drop 4.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to September 14. During the [...]