It’s been another busy week on The Grocer – with two big announcements dominating the media – and as ever we’ve tried to put our spin on the news in this week’s magazine and on the website.

The first was Amazon’s decision to close its Amazon Fresh convenience stores. I’ve never been convinced this would be a killer app so I’m not surprised it’s opted to walk away. As well as our news coverage in the magazine there’s a great online exclusive from our technology editor George Nott about the causes and the fallout. He also revealed that Amazon still sees a market for the Just Walk Out tech and will continue to sell it as a software/hardware solution.

The second story concerned the Co-op’s half-year results, in which it revealed the £80m profit hit it’s taken as a result of the cyberattack. As well as covering the news, I wrote my leader this week on the Co-op’s response to the crisis, arguing that despite the devastation there’s actually lots to be positive about. I was also interviewed by BBC Radio 4 Today about the results too. And George Nott spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today this morning about the cyberattack. 

As ever we’ve also broken lots of exclusive stories. One standout was Steve Farrell’s follow-up story on Tesco’s continued blocking of planning applications. He’s previously revealed how it was successfully challenging applications from Aldi and Lidl. This week he reports on how Tesco is also blocking planning applications from M&S. Finding locations for new supermarkets in this day and age is a challenge and a half, so when retailers find locations, it seems a little off that it’s rivals that are trying to stop them opening. 

Meanwhile Ian Quinn and Stephen Jones revealed plans by Asda to host a ‘reset’ conference in a bid to boost growth.

Our coverage of the latest delay to the EU Deforestation Regulation is also punchy and insightful. And there’s a fascinating story on how the global meat lobby is using dirty tricks to undermine a ground-breaking sustainability report from Eat-Lancet. The report itself will be published next Friday, so we’ll be sure to follow that up – and the timing is perfect, what with The Grocer’s Green Week next week.

I also wanted to flag up our investigation into the Bovaer crisis, which explores whether there is a future for the feed additive and wider efforts to tackle methane emissions in the dairy sector.

On a lighter note, Niamh Leonard-Bedwell explores the rise and possible fall of Dubai chocolate. With Tesco reducing Lindt’s Dubai-style chocolate bars to clear, her follow-up blog argues that while Dubai chocolate may have passed its viral peak, there is still lots of life left in the trend, which will leave a lasting legacy. The trend has even reached the ice cream category, which Niamh covered in her feature for The Dairymen supplement.

And there’s another fun, informative and colourful read in The Dairymen on the local ice cream heroes all over the country that continue to bring innovation, colour and provenance.

Finally on the NPD side, the Ginsters Pastry Toastie is pretty rad. It promises to be Ginsters’ most significant innovation since it went from supplying horse manure and cream to pasties in 1969.

As ever let me know what you think of these and other stories via LinkedIn or adam.leyland@thegrocer.co.uk.

And there’s lots more to read in this week’s issue, in the links below, plus other breaking news on our website, of course.

Have a great weekend.

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