>>industry must brace itself for a rollercoaster ride this year
>>THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, FROM THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
Our story on page 11 about the U-turn at Unwins, which the Wetz family have now decided to sell rather than keep, just confirms that 2005 is going to be a year of unprecedented change for the grocery sector.
I realise those who have been in this industry for some time will probably chuckle and point out that something similar is said every year. And up to a point they are right. The past couple of years were also amazing times of change in terms of the deals done - particularly in the convenience sector.
But the events of the past three months lead me to suspect that 2005 is going to be the mother of all years because the change underway is affecting every part of the grocery industry. No trade channel is being left untouched by recent events. Just look at the evidence: Unwins sold, Batleys acquired by Bestway, rumours surrounding Palmer & Harvey McLane, Booker back as a standalone business, the possibility that Iceland could be merged with Somerfield, the frantic work underway to rebuild the fortunes of Sainsbury, the Co-operative Group looking to overcome the indigestion caused by its rapid expansion, the efforts of Musgrave to turn its UK arm into a force to be reckoned with in the independent sector.
The list goes on and on and on … And don’t forget: we are only three months into the year!
It’s because these winds of change are sweeping through the entire sector that we decided this week to devote our whole Analysis section to what’s happening. We have deliberately focused on recent events at the big retail chains. But we’re not forgetting the other players in this particular game; they’ll be featured in the coming weeks (including the first interview with P&H chairman Christopher Adams since bid rumours started swirling).
We think we have produced a pretty compelling package of thought-provoking features for this week’s issue - and, as always, would welcome your views and thoughts on the features or issues they address.
I think the message to be taken from our collection of features is that we are living through a retail revolution. And in revolutions, anything is possible. That’s why I expect that the pace of change - whether through mergers, acquisitions or alliances - will intensify this year. That’s probably the only thing of which we can be certain in these very uncertain times.
get ready for a revolution
>>THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, FROM THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
Our story on page 11 about the U-turn at Unwins, which the Wetz family have now decided to sell rather than keep, just confirms that 2005 is going to be a year of unprecedented change for the grocery sector.
I realise those who have been in this industry for some time will probably chuckle and point out that something similar is said every year. And up to a point they are right. The past couple of years were also amazing times of change in terms of the deals done - particularly in the convenience sector.
But the events of the past three months lead me to suspect that 2005 is going to be the mother of all years because the change underway is affecting every part of the grocery industry. No trade channel is being left untouched by recent events. Just look at the evidence: Unwins sold, Batleys acquired by Bestway, rumours surrounding Palmer & Harvey McLane, Booker back as a standalone business, the possibility that Iceland could be merged with Somerfield, the frantic work underway to rebuild the fortunes of Sainsbury, the Co-operative Group looking to overcome the indigestion caused by its rapid expansion, the efforts of Musgrave to turn its UK arm into a force to be reckoned with in the independent sector.
The list goes on and on and on … And don’t forget: we are only three months into the year!
It’s because these winds of change are sweeping through the entire sector that we decided this week to devote our whole Analysis section to what’s happening. We have deliberately focused on recent events at the big retail chains. But we’re not forgetting the other players in this particular game; they’ll be featured in the coming weeks (including the first interview with P&H chairman Christopher Adams since bid rumours started swirling).
We think we have produced a pretty compelling package of thought-provoking features for this week’s issue - and, as always, would welcome your views and thoughts on the features or issues they address.
I think the message to be taken from our collection of features is that we are living through a retail revolution. And in revolutions, anything is possible. That’s why I expect that the pace of change - whether through mergers, acquisitions or alliances - will intensify this year. That’s probably the only thing of which we can be certain in these very uncertain times.
get ready for a revolution
No comments yet