Clive Black news and analysis
Clive Black is a senior retail analyst at Shore Capital and regular Grocer columnist.
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Analysis & FeaturesIs Henry Dimbleby right about Asda destroying Leon’s brand ethos?
Dimbleby has warned that a shift to unhealthier options could “destroy” Leon. What’s changed for the brand, and is it really in jeopardy under Asda?
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NewsArchie Norman’s tenure as M&S chairman extended for three years
‘The board is unanimous in its conviction that his continuation as chairman is in the best interests of the company,’ said M&S
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Analysis & FeaturesPrinces: what’s the strategy and the risks of IPO move?
A £1.5bn Princes flotation would create a ‘wave of confidence’, believe experts, as the business lines up a major acquisition spree
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NewsTesco share price gathers momentum as supermarket enters golden quarter from position of strength
Shares shot up 4.5% today to a near-12-year high of 449.2p as markets lapped up a bullish statement by CEO Ken Murphy asserting that the supermarket had built on already strong momentum in the first half to 23 August
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NewsAssociated British Foods shares plummet on consumer spending worries
Investors retreated from Associated British Foods this week as markets worried about a bleak consumer outlook after Primark’s sales came under pressure and the group’s grocery and sugar divisions also struggled
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Analysis & FeaturesFree at last, but what next for Boots after Walgreens demerger?
It’s a much-loved institution but will Boots benefit from $24bn demerger and new private equity owners Sycamore?
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Analysis & FeaturesAs a sale of Costa brews, why is it an attractive target for a private equity buyer?
A sale of Costa Coffee is on the cards and suitors have been named. Who else might be interested, and what are the growth opportunities?
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Analysis & FeaturesWhy Merchant Gourmet deal is a ‘good fit’ for Premier Foods
The latest deal is expected to follow the same Premier ‘playbook’
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Analysis & FeaturesCan a Hovis and Kingsmill combo stop the rot in sliced bread?
ABF hopes merger will pull both Hovis and Kingsmill back from the brink amid a decline in sliced bread. What are the chances?
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NewsInflation crisis imminent unless taxes overhauled, warns food industry
Industry leaders blamed rising inflation on a damaging combination of commodity price increases and a raft of government interventions
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NewsKingsmill owner ABF acquires Hovis in major bakery merger
Kingsmill owner Associated British Foods has inked a deal to acquire Hovis Group, after months of speculation
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Events & AwardsThe Grocer Gold Awards 2025: Tesco’s Ken Murphy wins The Grocer Cup
When Ken Murphy joined Tesco in October 2020, he had it all to prove. He was an outsider from Walgreens Boots Alliance
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NewsMedia Bites 26 June: Asda £600m loss, M&S slowdown and a strawberry sandwich
News that Asda reported an almost £600 million loss last year was widely reported in yesterday’s papers
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NewsMedia Bites 25 June: Asda’s weeds, playing student politics, Spanish wine exports
Kantar’s latest figures have been picked up by several papers, with the majority of headlines focused on rising inflation and the potential impact of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on falling volumes
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NewsTesco boss Ken Murphy admits rivals have ‘upped their game’ in supermarket price war
Tesco’s sales hit £12.3bn in the quarter as its market share climbed to 28% in the latest Kantar results.
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Analysis & FeaturesWhat does the EU-UK ‘reset’ mean for food & drink supply?
The UK and EU have agreed to slash red tape, removing the need for SPS border checks. Who will it help, who loses out, and how soon?
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Analysis & FeaturesMarks & Spencer cyberattack: the reasons, damage and lessons
As Scattered Spider – a hacking gang of ‘mostly teenagers’ – is linked to the M&S cyberattack, what’s at stake, and what options does it have?
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Analysis & FeaturesWhat’s Asda Price? Reality of Asda rollback return is unclear
The return of Asda’s Rollbacks wiped over £4bn off the value of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S. But is it rowing back on its Rollback programme?
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NewsMedia Bites 11 April: Tesco profits, Barry Callebaut, coffee prices
Tesco has warned that its profits will be lower this year to give it more wriggle room to cut prices
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NewsTesco slashing £500m of costs as price war escalates
Tesco is cutting an additional £500m of costs amid escalating costs and falling profits, saying it needs the ‘flexibility and firepower… to respond to current market conditions’