Most of the major national titles covered the reveal by the British Retail Consortium that food inflation hit a one-year high in May. Perhaps predictably, given its political leanings, the Telegraph lays the blame at the door of Rachel Reeves. It hones in on comments made by BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson that – given recent increases to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and the national living wage – “It is no surprise that inflation is rearing its head once again”.
The Guardian highlights that the shop price data follows a surge in inflation across the wider economy. Last week, the Office for National Statistics reported a larger than expected jump in annual inflation to 3.5% in April, driven by increases in water bills, energy costs and council tax.
The data suggests an ongoing squeeze on household finances, adds the FT.
Elsewhere, KFC’s plans to invest £1.5bn in the UK and Ireland are also widely covered (read The Grocer’s coverage here). The ambitious expansion plan is part of a bid by the fast-food franchise to stay ahead of rival chicken chains such as Wingstop and Popeyes, reports the BBC. It adds that Brits spent around £2.4bn on fried chicken from fast food shops in the year to 20 April, according to Kantar data.
The focus of KFC’s investment will be on building sites and drive-through outlets in key locations for the business such as the north-west of England, reports The Guardian.
KFC is offering up to a £20,000 ‘finder’s fee’ to landlords and property experts who introduce a site it can build on (Daily Mail).
Meanwhile, The Guardian has picked up on a pilot trial seeking to reduce food waste through the use of artificial intelligence. The AI tool, which has already generated an 87% reduction in edible food waste at one of Nestlé’s factories in Switzerland, is intended to “design out” food waste by providing real-time monitoring, tracking and insights of wasted ingredients and products. The pilot scheme – currently being trialled by companies across the UK – has the potential to save up to 700 tonnes, or 1.5 million meals – from going to waste, according to Nestlé.
Finally, Tesco’s introduction of AI technology to some self-checkouts continues to provoke debate. The tool, which shows a live action replay on camera when consumers fail to properly scan an item in a bid to discourage shoplifting, has been likened to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology used in football (BBC).
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