All comment & opinion articles – Page 558
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Comment & Opinion
Editor's comment: What would Walker do with Woolworths?
The man who “masterminded” the sale of Focus DIY to Cerberus for £1. On paper, it hardly looks like an achievement – until you realise Steve Johnson sold with it £174m of debt while negotiating a £40m payment to bondholders. It’s a little bit like...
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Comment & Opinion
Heart of the matter
Is the industry tackling state health targets? Caroline Flint talks exclusively to Siân Harrington. If the mainstream media and NGOs are to be believed, the food and drink industry scores a big fat zero in helping the nation...
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Comment & Opinion
Tackling World Cup 'fever'
The best way to deal with the high levels of absenteeism predicted during the World Cup is for employers to take a flexible approach when it comes to key matches, says Steve Crabb. With the start of the World Cup less than a month away,...
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Comment & Opinion
Anyone for seconds..?
Changing jobs is a daunting enough prospect for most of us, so imagine what it's like to change your profession. Petra Cook offers some pointers to a successful second career. As this is my last column for The Grocer, I thought it might...
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Comment & Opinion
The Saturday Essay: Common sense tempers scare stories
The past month has seen the usual torrent of media stories highlighting a world beset by danger. From the food we eat to the cleaning products we use, new scientific "evidence" purports to uncover fresh risks that lie behind the...
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Comment & Opinion
Sticking with the dream
Diageo's business performance management analyst, Gayle Broadhurst, has always had every intention of getting her CIMA qualification - it's just that her career got in the way. My route to getting the Chartered Institute of Management...
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Comment & Opinion
The monster in my midst
So, who exactly among the big supermarket chains owns the country's retail land bank? We know that someone, somewhere, must have a lot of land, because the OFT's research shows that the big four own more than 300 sites across the UK,...
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Comment & Opinion
Old is not a dirty word
Ageism is the most common form of discrimination in the workplace, yet with an ageing population, attitudes need to change to reflect economic and legislative logic, says Duncan Brown. Have you ever been treated, or treated someone,...
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Comment & Opinion
The Saturday Essay
New research shows that 60% of own label fresh food in UK supermarkets now carries the red tractor. This accounts for more than £5bn every year, with strong indications that growth will continue. But why has the red tractor prevailed...
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Comment & Opinion
What future for UK food?
There's a fascinating story in our dairy section this week about a bunch of agri-businessmen who have formed a campaigning group to raise awareness of the plight of farming in this country. Admittedly, it's all rather emotive stuff -...
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Comment & Opinion
Say No to plastic pouches, yes to glass
from David Workman, director general, British Glass. Sir; I read your report 'Pouch switch mooted' with interest (The Grocer, April 8, p66). With soaring oil prices, the answer for retailers is not to switch to plastic pouches as...
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Comment & Opinion
The Saturday Essay
In 1994 Parliament decided that all shops would be allowed to open on Sundays. Most shops, about 85% of them (those under 280 sq m), were allowed to open without restriction. But the opening hours for large shops were restricted to a...
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Comment & Opinion
Fit staff, fat rewards
Companies who ignore employees' workplace health concerns do so at their peril - for a sick and unhappy workforce is likely to impact negatively on both performance and productivity. Now that spring is here we can hopefully wave goodbye...
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Comment & Opinion
Careers File: Give your all to receive
Business goals are reached through investment in staff training and customer care. A high level of commitment in these areas is rewarded with industry recognition and new business opportunities, says Abid Amin, technical manager of TRS...
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Comment & Opinion
Living in the box is no fun
We all know of categories that are dogged by deep discounting that serves one purpose: educating shoppers to buy only on price. But who is to blame for this sorry state of affairs? Is it the retailer, who is pushing for deals that...
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Comment & Opinion
Sir; I avidly read The Grocer
I feel frustration because everyone is looking for ways to increase sales in the supermarkets, but they are overlooking what we really want availability. I feel that with correct availability, at least £4 to £5 extra would be coming from my...
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Comment & Opinion
Sir; Ben Ayliffe's allegation
The jurors presented their verdict and key conclusions to FSA chief executive Dr Jon Bell during a live internet broadcast on the FSA website, watched live by over 1,000 people, and viewed as video-on-demand by many others since. The Greenpeace...
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Comment & Opinion
Sir; I refer to the short article Madrange adds interest
It is always with interest we read of the activities of our competitors. Occasionally, however, we are astounded by the lack of knowledge of their targeted market and the arrogant claims in support of their marketing strategy. Madrange...
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Comment & Opinion
Sir; Alan Lacey made a number of very valid points
Our customers, whether they are retailers, manufacturers or logistics service providers, have been looking to implement supply chain solutions that allow them to differentiate not just by supplier, commodity group or product, but by individual item....
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Comment & Opinion
Sir; Your alert on the implications of the EU Regulation..
The Federation is working on measures which will mitigate the impact on cash and carry and delivered wholesalers where butchery departments produce waste. The costs of separating animal waste from other waste (ie wrapping) and policing its...