All Cost of living crisis articles – Page 7
-
Analysis & FeaturesHow symbol groups are investing to win retailer loyalty in 2026
Facing a cost of living crisis, the decline of tobacco sales and the rise of major mults in the convenience space, symbols are pulling out all the stops to attract retailers and protect margins
-
Category ReportLonger lasting laundry: trends in household cleaning 2026
Today’s shoppers expect more from their detergent than simple stain removal. They want trendy scents and gentler products to make sure their clothes last
-
Category ReportThe new roll models: trends in household paper products 2026
Eco loo rolls are flying in the supers as big brands’ sales go down the pan. Who are these challengers and how are they different?
-
NewsShoppers cut back on booze amid affordability fears, data shows
Just over one in five (22%) of consumers are cutting back to support health and fitness goals
-
NewsMorrisons ‘prepared to protect customers’ as cost and competition intensifies
Morrisons has ‘a lot more to do’ to win back shoppers, CEO Rami Baitiéh admitted, despite ‘robust’ full-year results
-
NewsGovernment facing ‘massive’ backlash over Streeting’s health targets plan
Nesta has forecast its plans will cost £45m for retailers to introduce, with biannual costs of £3.3m for periodic product assessments
-
Comment & OpinionWorking families don’t need growth. They need affordable food, close to home
When budgets tighten, families don’t abandon healthy eating intentionally – they know it’s bad for their health, but it is unavoidable in the moment, says Mark Game, founder of The Bread & Butter Thing
-
NewsChristmas retail sales ‘drab’ as growth slowed, says BRC
Total retail sales slowed for the fourth consecutive month in December, while volume growth was weak in food
-
WhitepapersExplore practical ways to protect your margins
A perfect storm of headwinds is presenting UK convenience retailers with challenges in relation to maintaining profitability. Without support or investment, profit growth may be a pipe dream for many retailers for the foreseeable future.
-
Comment & OpinionFood prices will rise in 2026 – and suppliers need them to
The 2026 pricing round will filter into retail prices across late January and February, taking inflation back up to 5%, says David Sables, CEO of Sentinel Management Consultants
-
NewsMore to come says Ken Murphy as Tesco zeroes in on 30% share target
With its market share up 31bps to 29.4%, Tesco has now had 32 consecutive four-week periods of year-on-year gains
-
Comment & OpinionFeatures editor’s picks 2025: robots, chicken shops and pay gaps
With 2025 drawing to a close – and the weekend almost upon us – we thought this would be a prime opportunity to remind our readers of some of the very best features of the year
-
NewsSupermarkets launch new £2m Birmingham surplus hub in King Charles’ war on food poverty
The Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub, in Gravelly Park, Birmingham, opened this week and is aiming to redistribute more than seven million meals across the West Midlands annually
-
Comment & OpinionTop Products 2025: cash-strapped shoppers seek added value
Intentional spending doesn’t automatically translate into a single-minded hunt for the lowest prices or loyalty-led discounts, says Julian Crane, MD UK&I at NIQ
-
Comment & OpinionRetailers must navigate grocery’s trickiest Christmas trends
Financial pressures remain front of mind for many households across the UK, notes Luke Hand of Mail Metro Media
-
Comment & OpinionBudget drama distracts from its very real consequences
A lot of hot air has been expended on attacking Rachel Reeves for ‘misleading the public’ – this has meant that real focus on the radical changes she made has been lost, says Ian Wright, partner at Acuti Associates
-
NewsM&S shoppers turn to crémant for affordable Christmas fizz fix
Overall sales of Crémant across M&S Foodhalls are up by 140%
-
Comment & OpinionThere is an alternative to the UK’s ‘broken’ food system
Social supermarkets and community pantries can help to rebuild a more equitable and functional food system, says Gary Stott, executive chair of Community Shop
-
NewsNew plastic tax raid plotted as Reeves looks to plug budget black hole
Sources say that they expect the UK’s plastic packaging tax to be one of those in the Chancellor’s crosshairs come next week’s budget
-
NewsDefra promises food bosses growth policies to revive crashed confidence
Environment secretary Emma Reynolds will stress today that the government will back its words with action, with moves to slash red tape and industry costs