The UK’s two biggest supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have increased sales at a faster rate than discounter Aldi for the first time in a decade, as the coronavirus pandemic spurred weekly shops and more online ordering (The Financial Times £). Online surge helps big supermarkets halt the rise of Aldi and Lidl – the rapid rise of online sales during the pandemic has contributed to a sharp reversal of fortunes in the UK grocery market (The Telegraph).

Grocery sales are rising at the fastest rate for more than quarter of a century as shoppers flock online and to local stores during the Covid-19 lockdown (The Daily Mail). Grocery sales surged at a record pace over the past three months as consumers were forced to eat at home during the coronavirus lockdown (The Telegraph). Supermarket food shops soared faster during the coronavirus pandemic than at any time in at least 26 years as households stockpiled and hunkered down (Sky News).

The online grocery market has doubled as a result of the coronavirus lockdown (The Times £).

Corner shops and independent grocery stores have reported a 63% surge in trade as shoppers turn to local outlets during the coronavirus crisis. (The Guardian)

The chief executive of Hammerson is to step down after a decade at the helm, as coronavirus darkens the outlook for the shopping centre owner (The Financial Times £). The chief executive of one of Britain’s biggest shopping centre owners has resigned in the middle of a retail property storm (The Times £).

Alistair Osborne in The Times (£) writes: “People get over some break-ups. But not the “Two Daves”: the double-act from Hammerson, starring chairman David Tyler and chief executive David Atkins. How will shopping centre comedy ever be the same again?”

British Land, which owns shopping centres including Sheffield’s Meadowhall and Drake Circus in Plymouth, has written down the value of its retail portfolio by more than a quarter due to the impact of the coronavirus (The Guardian). British Land recorded an £800m increase in losses last year after the coronavirus forced many offices and retailers to close their doors (The Daily Mail).

Alex Brummer in The Mail writes: “Looking ahead, both Hammerson and British Land should benefit from having their retail assets in shopping malls rather than on the High Street. Developers have taken a brutal hit and restoring rental incomes, property valuations and share prices is not going to be easy.” (The Daily Mail)

Harrods is to open a new store in central London to handle its summer sale as part of efforts to ease the pressure on its historic Knightsbridge hub. (The Telegraph)

McDonald’s will reopen all of its 1,000 restaurants in the UK and Ireland for drive-through or delivery by 4 June, as it returns to trading after the coronavirus shutdown (The Guardian). McDonald’s is set to reopen all of its drive-through locations and expand its delivery service from next week (Sky News).

The executive recruited to transform Marks & Spencer’s internal culture has found herself out of a job less than eight months after joining the high street retailer. (Sky News)

The agility of networks such as Nestle’s has contributed to what many analysts say is a strong performance by global food supply chains so far in the pandemic. Yet as the virus spreads, parts of the food chain are faring less well. Coronavirus has swept through US meat packing plants, forcing several closures. (The Financial Times £)

Switching from bulk service sector to retail is a steep learning curve for many companies. Supplying the retail sector rather than the services industry brings with it a raft of regulations that can hamper their ability to switch their business in the current climate. (The Financial Times £)

The FT looks at how How Reckitt Benckiser kept Dettol flowing in the pandemic. Its disinfectant factory near Wuhan provided model for consumer goods group to operate through lockdown. (The Financial Times £)

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