Alec Mattinson
Alec leads The Grocer’s expanding coverage of all things finance-related. Follow Alec on Twitter: @AlecMattinson
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 610512
- Email:
- alec.mattinson@thegrocer.co.uk
NewsCity snapshot: UK retail footfall continues to plunge
Retail footfall has dropped once more in September as consumer caution ahead of Brexit increased.
- News
Media Bites 14 Oct: EG Group, Retail footfall, Food crime
EG Group, one of the world’s largest independent petrol station and convenience store chains, is considering an initial public offering next year that could value it at more than £10bn
- News
United Biscuits’ sales slide amid competition and promotions
United Biscuits sales fell 5.4% last year as consumers turned away from branded favourites.
- News
Hain Celestial under investor pressure for more sell-offs
There’s still been no confirmation of a Sky News report last week linking US food player Hain Celestial with a sale of its UK arm
- News
Coffee startup Minor Figures lands £7.5m to push into US market
London-based coffee products supplier Minor Figures has secured a £7.5m investment to underpin a push into the US market and widen UK retail distribution.
- News
City snapshot: Flora owner Upfield in €500m talks to buy Violife Foods
The owner of Unilever’s former spreads business Upfield is reportedly in talks to purchase vegan cheesemaker Violife Foods.
- News
Media Bites 10 Oct: Supply chains, Upfield/Violife, Greene King
Poor pay and punitive working conditions are common on farms and plantations that supply fresh fruit or tea to major UK supermarkets, according to Oxfam.
- News
Meadow Foods buys Valeo-owned Nimbus Foods
Exponent-backed dairy company Meadow Foods has continued its acquisitive growth push with a deal to buy Welsh decorations and toppings firm Nimbus Foods.
- News
Media Bites 9 October: Pound, M&S, Brexit tariffs
The pound has slumped to its lowest level in more than a month, as hopes fade that a Brexit deal will be struck
- News
City snapshot: Stock Spirits boosted by Eastern Europe spirits market growth
Eastern Europe focussed spirits distiller Stock Spirits Group has said it is on course to hit full year guidance despite tax issues in Poland and “highly competitive” trading conditions.
- News
Media Bites 8 October: Pizza Express, Retail sales, Scotch whisky
Pizza Express has hired advisers for help as it prepares to hold crunch talks with creditors over its spiralling debt mountain
- News
City snapshot: Unilever vows to halve plastics use by 2025
Unilever has pledged to halve its use of virgin plastics by 2025 to cut its use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 tonnes. Plus, Tesco Bank appoints financial services veteran Sir John Kingman to its board, Lidl to open ten Manchester stores, a new chairman at McBride and all the rest of the latest news from the City.
- News
Media Bites 7 Oct: John Lewis Partnership, Unilever, Tesco
The John Lewis Partnership’s next chair, Sharon White, must trigger a fundamental review of the ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ slogan and consider closing some stores
- News
Burton’s makes return to growth as sales of sweet biscuits rise
Burton’s returned to growth in 2018, with sales up 1% to £235m
- News
Imperial Tobacco warns of vaping crackdown hit on profits
Imperial Brands has warned investors that a “challenging” US market for vaping products and weaker than expected performance in its Africa, Asia and Australasia business will hamper full year revenue and earnings growth.
- News
Media Bites 26 Sep: Philip Morris/Altria, Sainsbury’s, Tesco/Jack’s
The $200 billion merger between two of the world’s biggest tobacco companies has been called off because of mounting regulatory scrutiny of the vaping market.
- News
Sainsbury’s announces store closures as it targets £20m net operating profit boost
The closures are to include supermarkets, convenience stores and Argos outlets, as part of a store estate review
- News
City snapshot: Sainsbury’s stems sales slowdown amid store estate shake-up
Sainsbury’s has posted a small 0.2% drop in second quarter like-for-like sales (ex fuel), while announcing it plans to axe as many as 125 stores across its supermarkets, convenience stores and Argos outlets amid 200 openings.
- News
Media Bites 25 Sep: M&S, AG Barr, Hotel Chocolat
Marks & Spencer is parting ways with yet another director as Gordon Mowat, head of supply chain and logistics for the firm’s troubled clothing and home arm, has been pushed out after two years in the role.
- News
City snapshot: Hotel Chocolat annual sales and profits jump amid global expansion plans
Hotel Chocolat has shrugged off “economic headwinds” on the UK high street to post a 14% full year sales surge and a 9% rise in underlying earnings. Plus, sales and profits drop at AG Barr after “disappointing” first half and all the rest of the latest news from the City.
