Belinda Cole
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Asda tipped to buy Somerfield for £2bn
Asda has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to buy high-street grocery chain Somerfield, The Grocer has learnt. Somerfield hired the bank Citigroup this week after receiving "some unsolicited approaches", according to a source close...
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We ask... are you optimistic about trading in 2008?
Independents are divided over whether they will weather the adverse economic conditions predicted for 2008. More than 50 per cent of retailers questioned in a telephone poll by The Grocer expect sales to rise significantly in the next 12...
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Store visit Unpackaged
If you spot a trendy Islington resident leaving their house armed with empty plastic boxes and bottles they may not be heading to the nearest recycling facility - or at least not the sort most of us are familiar with. Islington is home...
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Manager Catherine Conway
After trialling her packaging-free concept at local markets last year, Catherine Conway secured a loan to open her first store. "The refill model is great for repeat business and there are higher margins on bulk goods, so it was quite easy to...
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Allied Bakeries brings new trio to sales team
After a rocky 2007, Kingsmill manufacturer Allied Bakeries has kicked off the new year with three new appointments. The changes have been made by sales director Martin Brewis a year after he took up his role. Ann-Marie Perkins,...
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Haribo Lite
For those on a new year quest for healthier eating, Haribo Lite offers a solution for diet-conscious customers who are counting the calories but want a sweet treat. Haribo is giving 20 readers a shelf-ready display carton containing 12 x...
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More healthier lines
?"We are confident we will have another good year, although if last year was anything to go by, with flooding hitting parts of Britain, you should learn to expect the unexpected. We had a pretty good 2007 and expect more of the same although I...
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How to beat a squeeze on consumer spending
James Lowman CEO, Association of Convenience Stores Says: There is significant talk of a financial squeeze in 2008 and this has led to concern in the media and industry. However, retailers should not be too pessimistic about the...
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Marks heads towards one-stop grocery offer
M&S is gearing up to take on the big four with a significant move towards becoming a one-stop-shop. It has brought out a comprehensive cooking ingredients range and said this week it was taking a "serious" look at introducing major food...
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Heinz Snap Pots in first ad campaign
Snap Pots from Heinz is to benefit from a £3m push in the first advertising for the brand since it hit supermarket shelves last year. A TV campaign next week is followed by press ads later in the year highlighting its convenience...
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Morrisons' sales soar 9% over festive period
Morrisons was the grocery sector's big winner this Christmas, clocking up sales growth of 9.3% in the 12 weeks to 30 December, according to TNS Worldpanel data. The retailer put in a stellar performance - vastly better than the 4.9%...
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Rose reticent over suppliers as Esom eyes food price cuts
Marks & Spencer is gearing up to slash food prices in the wake of disappointing Christmas sales. On Wednesday the retailer revealed that like-for-like sales of food fell 1.5% in the 13 weeks to 29 December. Total food sales rose...
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Retailer price pressure puts labour in danger, warns GLA
The body that regulates gangmasters has warned that the way supermarkets squeeze suppliers could be putting workers in danger - and has called for an ombudsman to be appointed to curb their power. The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has...
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Did the tills ring out for Christmas?
So, was it a Christmas cracker for grocery retailers? Or did the credit crunch leave them nursing a hangover? No-one has yet posted their full Christmas trading figures, but the picture emerging is one of a merry Christmas for most -...
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Rose says ban on covenants would help M&S expansion
A ban on grocery retailers selling or letting land under restrictive covenants would give a major boost to M&S's expansion, according to chief executive Stuart Rose. Last week, in its provisional grocery inquiry findings, the Competition...
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Energizer wipes up the last Wet Ones
Energizer Personal Care has cleaned up on the global rights to Wet Ones personal wipes with the acquisition of the brand in the UK and Ireland from Jeyes Group. The deal means Energizer now owns the brand all over the world. Jeyes, which...
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Pork Farms moves within PGI pie zone
Pork Farms, the former Northern Foods business, is to close its Trowbridge factory in an attempt to ensure it can continue making Melton Mowbray Pork Pies after they are given EU protected status. The company said that following a 90-day...
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Appleby Westward boosts local links
South west Spar wholesaler Appleby Westward has joined regional food marketing group Taste of the West as part of a bid to improve links with local suppliers. The company is setting up a supply chain that will enable it to offer local...
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Government pushes for more cuts to packaging
New controls on retail packaging are more likely after the government admitted this week that present voluntary arrangements were not good enough. Joan Ruddock, parliamentary undersecretary of state at Defra, who is responsible for waste...
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Shoppers say M&S is the most ethical
Marks & Spencer has been rated the most ethical food retailer by consumers for a second year, while Tesco was down five places on last year in 15th position. M&S was rated 'good' or 'very good' by 60% of the 1,067 people polled in the...