Donald Trump’s gamble appears to have paid off, with the possible ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran dominating today’s headlines. It’s very much a developing story, but markets have responded well. Oil prices have also fallen sharply, as trade fears have eased. Brent crude fell to $68.76 a barrel early on Tuesday, from a peak of $79 a barrel in recent days on fears that the Iran would close the critical Strait of Hormuz.
There’s been plenty of other interesting news from the world of food, drink and retail overnight, notably from Asda, which has abandoned plans to zhuzh up staff uniforms, in order to divert more cash towards cutting prices and improving stores, claims a story in the Telegraph. Asda began trialling a new look uniform – its first for 12 years – in October 2024 in 12 of its stores, before Allan Leighton’s return to the business. When The Grocer covered it at the time, the initial trial was set to last six weeks.
High street kebab chain German Doner Kebab is trialling “robotic meat shavers” at a “handful” of its 150 sites, as part of its efforts to remove costs from is stores, The Telegraph claims, in an interview with GDK’s chief executive Simon Wallis. Staff will also no longer deliver food to customer’s tables, as part of the measures, which over time Wallis hopes will improve productivity in stores by around 20%.
The theme of staffing carries on in The Guardian, which reports unrest among some Co-op staff over plans to roll out new single-person shifts. Colleagues have accused the retailer of putting safety and security at risk over the new plans, dubbed Project Lunar, which will allow staff members to work alone during quieter times of the day. The retailer trialled the new working hours in five stores over summer, and has now rolled the changes into around 60 of its stores. A few hundred people claiming to be Co-op staff have started a petition criticising the plans, via the website Organise. They point out that the Co-op has been outspoken on retail crime, but forcing staff to work alone puts them at risk.
M&S’s cyber woes continue to draw headlines, with another from The Guardian, which looks at its impact on its fashion rivals. Unsurprisingly, Zara, H&M and Next have all reported a sales boost, after M&S was forced to pause online orders for seven weeks.
Away from retail, ABF Sugar has appealed to Labour to protect the UK’s bioethanol industry, after the recent US trade deal put the future of some of the UK’s major plants at risk, writes The FT. The agreement offered US ethanol producers a 1.4-billion litre tariff-free quota, equivalent to the entire UK’s annual demand for bioethanol, effectively wiping out the need for domestic product, ABF Sugar executives claim. The company has paused a £250m investment into its Vivergo Plant in Saltend Hull, the UK’s largest. It is set to begin consultation with 160 staff there over the plant’s future unless a deal can be reached with Labour.
England’s children face a future of obesity “deeply concerning” figures from the Royal Society For Public health, seen by The Guardian, reveal. One in four (41%) year six pupils will be classed as obese by 2034-35. In total, rates of overweight or obese children will rise in 90% local authority areas in the next decade, the analysis suggests.
Finally, Kantar is set to publish its latest figures for the 12 weeks ending 15 June later today. The Grocer will be there with all the critical detail.
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