Steve Farrell
Steve is deputy news editor at The Grocer.
He’s responsible for covering the discounters and retail property, and for commissioning and editing The Grocer’s analysis features. He has over 20 years' experience as a journalist, during which his by line has appeared regularly in a range of national newspapers.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 846613
- Email:
- steve.farrell@thegrocer.co.uk
Comment & OpinionWhat now for Aldi and Lidl after the CMA’s property decision?
Aldi and Lidl have said the CMA’s decision will change little, but both will have to remove restrictive clauses from their land deals
NewsOnly 26 sites on the UK market could provide Aldi or Lidl a new location
Development and land intelligence firm Ortelias, whose co-founder is a former regional Lidl property head, searched criteria matches across the country
NewsCMA: Aldi and Lidl will face same land rules as other supermarkets
The competition regulator has confirmed the two discounters will be banned from using restrictive clauses in property deals to block rivals from opening nearby
Analysis & FeaturesWhat the food and retail industry needs from the budget
New CPI inflation figures this week prompted last-ditch food industry calls for the government to help by delivering a much-needed cost-cutting budget on 28 October
NewsAldi vs Lidl average unit price gap widening, Worldpanel data shows
A growing gap can reflect changing shopper choices driven by retailer customer strategies as much as it can movement in comparable prices
NewsPoundland owner appoints restructuring experts as independent directors
Gordon Brothers has parachuted in Andrew Kirkpatrick, Stephen Welch and Dominic Young
NewsPoundland management buyout still on the table as it hires for Christmas
The recruitment push comes as a clutch of bidders vies for parts of the business in auction process by owner Gordon Brothers
Comment & OpinionWho are Boots’ new owners and what will they do?
While the Westons in the UK control ABF and Fortnum & Mason, Boots’ new owners are the separate Canadian branch of the family. So what can they bring to the 177-year-old British retailer?
NewsBosses of major supermarkets meet Healey with budget demands
Executives will tell John Healey that ‘choices he makes at the end of month will determine whether more shops open or close, whether retail jobs grow or decline and whether prices rise faster or slower’
NewsWorldpanel: Asda’s return to growth proves short-lived
The latest data also tells of subdued grocery sales elsewhere as consumers spend cautiously ahead of the autumn budget
NewsUnion ‘deeply concerned Poundland is being pushed into administration’
Usdaw said it had persistently sought talks with Gordon Brothers to no avail and feared a decision could be made on Poundland’s fate as soon as Tuesday
NewsM&S and John Lewis bosses set out budget demands for Chancellor
M&S chief Stuart Machin said he had written to John Healey directly ‘to set out what needs to change’
NewsHelp public by helping retail, BRC urges Chancellor
A poll for the BRC found 89% of UK adults wanted John Healey to focus on the cost of living
NewsRetailers ‘fighting costs with one hand tied’, warns BRC
BRC CEO Helen Dickinson urged Chancellor John Healey to help consumers by pulling back from increasing business rates in Budget on 28 October
NewsPoundland makes second trading update in weeks amid buyout talks
Poundland said like-for-like sales growth had continued in the first week of its current quarter, which started on 28 September, climbing by 9.8% on an adjusted basis and 6.7% unadjusted
NewsM&S kicks off hunt for 11,000 Christmas workers
Recruits will receive M&S’s entry-level national pay rate of £13.41 an hour, the third-highest offered by a major UK grocer after Aldi and Lidl
NewsBoots owner agrees $9bn sale to Weston family
The deal includes Boots’ retail operations in the UK and Ireland, Boots Opticians, its No7 Beauty Company, and its Thailand and franchised businesses
NewsLidl investing £75m in loyalty offers between now and Christmas
Lidl said it had already ploughed £400m in price cuts and promotions this year as it announced the new investment today
NewsBoots launches hunt for 6,000 Christmas recruits
The health & beauty retailer is promising opportunities for people at all stages of their careers
NewsSimple Online Pharmacy rapped by regulator over weight-loss pill ads
Ads for prescription-only medicine are by banned under the Committee of Advertising Practice Code