Investors eye UK supermarkets’ Christmas performance in busy week on London markets January 9, 2022 Investors will be eyeing how the UK’s biggest supermarkets fared over the Christmas trading period in a busy week of corporate announcements on London markets. Traders will be looking for clues in the string of supermarket updates on whether the imposition of plan B measures and soaring Covid-19 cases prompted consumers to divert money that [...]
Asda forgoes British beef pledge for cheaper Irish imports January 7, 2022 Asda has ditched its 100 per cent British beef pledge in favour of cheaper, Irish exports, prompting backlash from farmers. The pledge was just three months old before the supermarket chain reeled back on the ambition after prices rose in the UK. “Whilst we continue to work hard to keep prices as low as possible [...]
Shoppers opted for premium products this Christmas as grocery inflation hit 3.5 per cent January 5, 2022 Grocery sales hit £11.7bn over the Christmas period, as shoppers were keen to make the most of the festive period after Covid restrictions hampered celebrations last year. Shoppers spent record amounts on supermarkets’ premium own brand products, with £627m spent on pricier items over the four weeks to 26 December. This was an increase of [...]
Aldi to bolster British suppliers, injecting £3.5bn a year into home grown businesses December 29, 2021 Aldi is set to bolster its UK-based suppliers next year, becoming the latest in a number of businesses trying to bring their supply chains closer to home. In recruiting more than 100 more suppliers in 2022, the move forms part of the supermarket chain’s bid commitment to increase its spend with suppliers on British soil [...]
Best of 2021: Why UK airlines are at odds with Heathrow December 27, 2021 The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) managed to upset both airlines and Heathrow on 16 December when it confirmed the interim price cap which will be implemented at the London hub from 1 January. From the current £19.60 the charges will go up to £29.50 in 2020 prices, amounting to £30.19 per passenger because of the [...]
Just Eat enters grocery delivery market race with Asda deal December 17, 2021 Just Eat has waded into the escalating market battle over rapid grocery deliveries, unveiling a deal with supermarket chain Asda.
M&S declares war on Aldi over ‘obvious’ copy of Christmas gin December 16, 2021 Marks and Spencer has launched legal action against discount supermarket rival Aldi, over what it alleges is a copycat gin. Aldi’s ‘The Infusionist’ gold-flake gin liqueur range has been accused of copying M&S’ Light-Up Gin, in papers filed at the High Court earlier this month. M&S registered three varieties of its designs earlier this year, [...]
Shoppers eye discount brands as increasing costs of essentials bite December 8, 2021 Shoppers are eyeing cheaper prices at discount supermarkets amid increases in the cost of living. Brands to focus on affordable prices have made market share gains over the past 12 weeks, according to fresh data from Kantar. Lidl hit a new record market share of 6.4per cent, while Aldi gained 0.2 percentage points to move [...]
The supermarket wars are in full swing and Tesco is beefing up to fight its turf December 1, 2021 I last saw Sir Terry Leahy in 2013, two years after his messy divorce from Tesco. He agreed to a chat about retail on the condition he wouldn’t have to talk about the supermarket juggernaut he helped to create or his successor, Philip Clarke, who’d begun to question the state of the business he’d been [...]
Letters: Keeping an eye on the prize November 25, 2021 [Re: FCA watchdog calls in Bitcoin experts to combat crime, Nov 22] The relative anonymity of cryptocurrencies is naturally an attractive destination for organised criminals trying to hide their illicit wealth. With the use of crypto increasing, it is no surprise to see the FCA ramping up efforts to protect the wider industry from illicit [...]