Sarah Cardell news and analysis
Sarah Cardell is CEO of Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).
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Category ReportHave the big baby brands lost their way?
The giants of baby and infant care are under attack as a new generation of products marketed on health, sustainability or value wins share. Can they find their way out of a hole?
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NewsFood and drink companies face massive fines under new greenwashing probe
The sector is on a state of high alert after the CMA this week announced it would put consumer rights and prosecution of unfair activities ‘front and centre’ in the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act
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NewsMedia Bites 18 February: Pret’s water bill, job cuts, Asda/Sainsbury’s merger
The pick of the retail news and headlines from Tuesday 18 February
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NewsParents overpaying by £300 a year on infant formula, CMA finds
The regulator launched its investigation in 2023 after finding manufacturers had raised prices by as much as 36%
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NewsCity snapshot: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners boosts sales with price rises
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is set to return €1bn to shareholders following ‘a great end to a solid year’. Plus, the CMA has delivered its findings in the infant formula case this morning
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Comment & OpinionDoug Gurr running the CMA: what could possibly go wrong?
There is clearly still grrr in the Gurr, with the 60-year-old today announced as the new interim chairman of the Competition & Markets Authority
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NewsCity snapshot: Consumer confidence improves in wake of budget
Businesses have warned that big tax rises in the budget will lead to job losses and pay cuts but that is having little effect on Brits’ mood. Also, the Competition and Markets Authority will allow more deals to go ahead to help boost growth.
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Category ReportWhat’s the future of Fairtrade?
As Fairtrade turns 30, it is working with retailers on an innovative sourcing trial – but its farmers still face a wealth of challenges
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NewsParents ‘paying over the odds’ for infant formula, CMA report finds
The interim report highlights ‘a number of concerns’ related to the infant formula market
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NewsCity snapshot: CMA sets out plans to shake up infant formula market
The UK competition watchdog has set out a list of recommendations to shake up the baby formula market amid fears that prices in the category are too high
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NewsUnilever escapes CMA wrath as watchdog closes green claims probe
The consumer watchdog was concerned over potential spread of sustainability misinformation in the fmcg sector
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NewsCity snapshot: Drivers still paying too much at the pumps as high fuel prices cost motorist £1.6bn in 2023 - CMA
Fuel margins at supermarkets are double what they were in 2019, according to the competition watchdog
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NewsAsda agrees to avoid making ‘ambiguous’ green claims in new deal with CMA
The CMA signed an unprecedented deal with Asda, Asos and Boohoo following greenwashing concerns in the fashion sector
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NewsCity snapshot: Domino’s Pizza grows sales and profits as costs ease
UK takeaway franchise player Domino’s Pizza group posted a rise in order count and sales last year on new store openings and increased market share
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NewsBaby formula price war looms as Aldi undercuts Iceland’s ‘cheapest’ claim
Aldi made the change to its Mamia line, the day after Iceland launched what it claimed was the “cheapest” formula product on the market
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NewsCity snapshot: CMA launches market study into infant formula
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has today launched a market study into the supply of infant formula in the UK after finding prices had soared by 25% over two years
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NewsUnilever under CMA investigation for ‘overstating’ environmental claims
The CMA said an initial review uncovered ‘a range of concerning practices’ in Unilever’s marketing efforts
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NewsCity snapshot: UK shoppers save now to spend £5bn on food during Christmas week
Grocery sales growth slowed in November as shoppers delayed spending on food and drink to take advantage of seasonal promotions during Christmas week. Plus, the CMA opens a probe into Unilever around claims of “greenwashing” and Pepco posts record sales but profits fall back
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Comment & OpinionWhat planet is the CMA on with its profiteering witch-hunt?
The CMA’s reports have as much insight as a five-year-old’s review of War & Peace, says Ged Futter, director of The Retail Mind
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NewsCMA finds brands hiked prices above cost rises but clears industry of profiteering
The Competition & Markets Authority named baked beans as an area where “prices have risen by more than production costs, leading to increases in unit profitability”