It’s particularly the Friday before Christmas in the papers in terms of grocery news.
The Telegraph follows The Grocer lead in reporting that kids snack brand Bear has been acquired by Lotus Bakeries for about £70m. The paper points out the deal comes just months after the Belgian Biscoff maker snapped up Natural Balance Foods, the business behind Nakd and Trek bars. The Grocer revealed the story yesterday before Bear parent Urban Fresh Foods and Lotus issued a joint statement to the press. Read The Grocer’s story here.
The Telegraph has revealed plan by health food retailer Holland & Barrett to double sales to £1bn in the next five years. It comes as the chain increased turnover by almost 12% in the past 12 months to £573.5m, with earnings also up 12% to £146m. The paper writes that Holland & Barrett had been boosted by consumers’ growing consciousness around healthy eating and awareness around allergies and intolerances. “This year’s performance, especially our rapid growth overseas, underlines the fact that rising consumer interest in healthier living and wellness is by no means a UK or even Western phenomenon,” CEO Peter Aldis is quoted as saying.
The Times reports that United Utilities signed a deal with Tesco to take charge of its water supply in Scotland. It comes ahead of a coming revolution in water competition, with British businesses able to choose to sign up with a water company to look after their sites nationwide rather than each area being forced to go with their local or regional supplier.
Finally, the latest retail data from the ONS gets some coverage in the The Financial Times and The Times. Black Friday fever led to an unexpected jump in retail sales in November. The Office for National Statistics found sales volumes grew by 1.7% from October, more than triple the 0.5% rise forecast by economists.
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