All articles by Fiona McLelland – Page 2

  • News

    Nisa board brings in objective angle

    2007-11-10T00:00:00Z

    Nisa-Today's has completed an eight-month search for its first independent directors as part of its drive to deliver improved corporate governance for members. The buying group has appointed Ian Black and Mark Pullen to the holdings board...

  • News

    'Unconscionable' emails revealed

    2007-11-05T00:00:00Z

    Tesco has slammed a proposal by the Competition Commission to appoint a regulator to enforce a new, tougher code of conduct. In its provisional findings, commission chairman Peter Freeman said he believed the code "was effective in terms...

  • News

    Asda unveils first supercentre with department-store style

    2007-11-05T00:00:00Z

    In the next two weeks, Asda will unveil the first of a new breed of large supermarkets boasting a department-store style layout. The retailer's 100,000 sq ft Patchway store, Asda's oldest supercentre, is nearing the end of a three-month...

  • News

    Vennekens signed as new Haribo MD

    2007-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Herwig Vennekens has become Haribo's new MD for the UK. He joins the sweet manufacturer from McCormick UK, which makes and distributes the McCormick and Schwartz ranges of herbs and spices. Belgian-born Vennekens succeeds Per Henérius,...

  • News

    Moore takes helm as Aspall expands

    2007-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Vinegar and cider producer Aspall has appointed Peter Moore as MD as it bids to double the size of the business over the next five years. Moore joins from PJ Smoothies, where he was also MD. The position at Aspall has been newly created...

  • News

    Meads takes over from Hewlett at Asda online

    2007-10-20T00:00:00Z

    The head of general merchandise at Asda.com Gordon Hewlett has left the company to become a commercial manager in the multi-channel retailing department at Woolworths. Hewlett, who joined Asda three-and-a-half years ago from Tesco, has...

  • News

    Sainsbury's hits out at Tesco swingometer ad

    2007-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Sainsbury's has launched a stinging attack of Tesco's £4m 'swingometer' price comparison campaign, describing it as "inaccurate" and misleading. During the campaign, which ran from July to September, Tesco boasted that 4,251 products...

  • News

    Lottery scheme to save village shops

    2007-09-24T00:00:00Z

    A new lottery-funded programme has been launched in a bid to keep more village shops in business. The Making Local Food Work campaign will be backed with a £10m investment in local food initiatives throughout England over five...

  • News

    Grocers fuming over smoking law delays

    2007-09-24T00:00:00Z

    A failure by the Scottish Executive to publicise an increase in the legal smoking age to 18 will put shop workers at risk, according to the Scottish Grocers' Federation. The change was proposed on 1 January by then Labour/Lib Dem...

  • News

    Can the Scots enter the £10bn league?

    2007-09-08T00:00:00Z

    So. Scotland has ambitions to become one of the top countries for food and drink in 10 years. New public/private marketing body Scotland Food & Drink has been tasked with propelling the £7bn-industry towards a £10bn target by 2017. But when...

  • News

    Ferndale angerat Code

    2007-08-25T00:00:00Z

    The Supermarkets Code of Practice came under attack this week - just as the Competition Commission began the mammoth task of sifting through millions of emails following allegations that two supermarkets use retrospective discounts in a...

  • News

    Asda's boast of growth accelerating ahead of rivals backed by latest data

    2007-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Andy Bond's boast that Asda has been outperforming its rivals was backed up by TNS Worldpanel and Nielsen figures published this week. Asda was ahead of the pack with sales up 6% in the 12 weeks to 11 August, according to Nielsen. Sales growth at...

  • News

    Martin Glenn: why private equity's good for grocery

    2007-08-13T00:00:00Z

    PR is not the strongest suit of the private equity brigade. They are variously described as as barbarians, asset-strippers and tax-dodging vultures; accused of slashing jobs, ignoring pensions and paying low wages before selling up and moving on to...

  • News

    where did all the women Go?

    2007-08-13T00:00:00Z

    The lights dim. The drums roll. The chatter drops to an excited whisper. The shortlist for this year's The Grocer Cup is announced: "Tesco's Dame Theresa Leahy, Sainsbury's Justine King and Asda's Andrea Bond. And the winner is..." Then reality...

  • News

    Tesco turns up heat on rivals in planning row

    2007-04-09T00:00:00Z

    Tesco went on the offensive this week, lashing out at its biggest rivals in its latest submission to the Competition Commission's groceries inquiry. In a thinly veiled attack on Asda, which called for reform of the planning regime in its...

  • News

    Asda unveils plan to catch up online

    2007-03-31T00:00:00Z

    Asda is to take on Argos and Tesco Direct in the online sector later this year with a relaunch of its internet offer. The retailer is hoping to make its entire store offer, except for George clothing, available on Asda.com by October. US...

  • News

    Morrisons smartens up its healthier eating act

    2007-01-20T00:00:00Z

    Morrisons is pumping £1m into its first ever healthy-eating campaign. National and regional press ads for the Eating Smarter campaign, which went live this week, were developed by Delaney Lund Knox Warren - the agency hired last summer by...

  • News

    Morrisons in lead with price-cutting

    2007-01-13T00:00:00Z

    Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda have been making all the big noise about new year price reductions - but Morrisons has quietly been beating them all, according to exclusive data from The Grocer Price Index.  Morrisons has cut the cost of our...

  • News

    Doubt over Essentials' future as store closes

    2007-01-13T00:00:00Z

    The future of Asda's Essentials format was thrown into doubt this week as the company confirmed the first store in the format was to close just 10 months after opening. The closure of the 8,000 sq ft Northampton store, which opened last...

  • News

    Festive high, but 2007 set to be tough say supermarkets

    2007-01-13T00:00:00Z

    Grocery retailers reported Christmas cheer this week with strong trading results - but warned the year ahead would be tough. Chief executive Stuart Rose was first to spin the cautionary tale as Marks & Spencer reported good like-for-like...