Alison Bennett
- News
Price Survey - 7th April 2007
Asda has claimed the title of cheapest retailer for the 11th time this year and the eighth week in a row in The Grocer 33 pricing survey this week - despite a complete overhaul of the list of 33 items shopped. It produced a £44.16 basket by...
- News
A Welsh winner for Waitrose - Q&A and Availability
Waitrose at Barry in Wales won the Top Store award this week after ticking every box on our mystery shopper's list despite its profile being least suited of the top six supermarket chains in the local demographic. It provided a full basket and staff...
- News
MD who gave Red Bull wings leaves company
Red Bull UK was ready to move on to the next level, claimed MD Harry Drnec as he announced he was stepping down to spend more time with his family. When Drnec joined the company in 1995, Red Bull UK was losing money. Twelve ...
- News
Q&A with Henri Henriques Store manager of the week
What is your greatest challenge and how do you tackle it? The greatest challenge I have is consistency in the workplace. We have won the Top Store award three times because we consistently want to be the best. We want to deliver...
- News
Price Survey - 24 March 2007
Asda has provided the cheapest basket for the sixth week in a row. The retailer produced a £43.44 basket in The Grocer 33 pricing survey this week - this was thanks in part to promotional deals on Radox Herbal Bath and Kleenex For...
- Profiles and QandAs
Patak's Page to grow Jamie Oliver venture
Jamie Oliver's company Fresh Retail Ventures is set for expansion after appointing Patak's David Page as managing director. Page will join the company in April from the Indian food supplier, which announced it was up for sale this week...
- News
It's too easy for FSA to recall food says Dilger
The system controlling food recalls discriminates unfairly against food manufacturers because there is no risk involved for the FSA when it issues one, Greencore boss David Dilger claimed this week. The chief executive of the...
- News
Criticising the big four...'a bad idea'
Lord Haskins, the former Northern Foods chairman, has told The Grocer he believes the cause of his former employer's problems can be traced back to its poor handling of supermarkets. Speaking in the wake of news that Northern's chief...
- News
Feeling flush, Northern now eyes acquisitions
Just a week after shareholders voted to sell 40% of its operations, Northern Foods has revealed it is keen to buy more. Chief executive Pat O'Driscoll said Northern Foods had made more money than it had expected from the disposal of...
- News
Single society spectre as giants talk merger
The Co-operative Group and United Co-operatives are poised to merge in a deal that would create the UK's fifth-largest grocery retailer by market share. The UK's two largest co-operative societies revealed this week they were in talks...
- News
McColl tells suppliers to keep up refurb pace
The Martin McColl makeover is set to continue - but it will not be an easy ride for suppliers. The chain will continue to make "unreasonable demands" on suppliers in 2007, warned general manager for buying, Thain Coventry. The...
- News
Wholesale change
Life at the top is never easy. But it is particularly challenging when the supermarkets are dictating terms in the grocery market and you are watching a resurgent Booker motor ahead with its recovery programme under chief executive Charles...
- News
United, Leeds next in run of Co-op mergers
Consolidation of the co-operative movement continued this week, with United Co-operatives and Leeds Co-operative Society set to merge. Leeds' members will vote on the tie-up at a meeting on 11 December. If two thirds vote in favour, a...
- News
Welsh anger at 'snub' by Commission inquiry
The Competition Commission has denied farmer and politician claims it has snubbed Wales. The Commission has no plans to visit the country as part of its grocery inquiry - despite holding personal hearings in Scotland in September and in...
- News
Co-ops to ditch familiar logo from own-label packaging
Co-operative societies are ditching the iconic Co-op 'clover' on own-label packaging as part of an overhaul to tie in with the unifying fascia created this year by the Co-operative Group. Current packaging for the 3,000 products branded...
- News
Retailers need help to beat the criminals
One of the most startling figures in the BRC's 13th crime survey is that the value of losses from undetected customer theft rose by 44% in 2005 - from £400m to £578m - 28% of the total cost of crime. But this is just the tip of the...
- News
Government 'serious' about tackling crime
The government moved this week to reassure shopworkers and owners that it takes retail crime seriously, insisting that it is committed to helping crack the problem. Speaking at the British Retail Consortium's annual crime conference,...
- News
Managers better at detecting staff fraud
Figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal that managers are getting better at detecting staff crime and that the introduction of chip and PIN has been a success. The data is contained in the BRC's retail crime survey but has been...
- News
Northern Ireland next for Commission inquiry
The Competition Commission is taking its investigation into the UK grocery industry to Northern Ireland next month, as its schedule for personal hearings builds up a head of steam. This week, the inquiry team, led by Commission chairman...