The Co-op news and analysis – Page 86

  • News

    Top-Up shop

    2007-03-24T00:00:00Z

    Who we visited Sainsbury's Local Birmingham, West Midlands Co-op Crieff, Perthshire Nisa Stockport, Greater Manchester Tesco express Amersham, Bucks Budgens Trowbridge, Wiltshire How they...

  • News

    Heated fields bring on early asparagus crop

    2007-03-24T00:00:00Z

    Underground heating in fields has put the first British asparagus onto shelves four weeks earlier than usual. The Co-operative Group said it was the first retailer to offer a home-grown crop, which went on sale in 11 stores on Monday 19...

  • News

    Co-ops reveal their plans if members approve merger

    2007-03-24T00:00:00Z

    The Co-operative Group and United Co-operatives have admitted the merger of the two societies will result in redundancies. Last month, the two societies agreed to recommend to their members that approval should be given to a merger, which...

  • News

    Top-Up shop

    2007-03-17T00:00:00Z

    Who we visitedlondis Burley Grove, BristolCo-op local Benfleet, Essexlifestyle express Kirkintilloch, Glasgowone stop Roffey, West SussexSpar Saintfield Road, BelfastHow they...

  • News

    Farmers hope stores will follow Tesco lead

    2007-03-10T00:00:00Z

    The dairy industry is holding its breath to see what happens following Tesco's decision to raise its retail milk prices this week.Farming leaders are hoping Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Somerfield will follow suit, after Tesco...

  • News

    Farmers hope stores will follow Tesco lead

    2007-03-10T00:00:00Z

    The dairy industry is holding its breath to see what happens following Tesco's decision to raise its retail milk prices this week.Farming leaders are hoping Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Somerfield will follow suit, after Tesco...

  • News

    Shelf barkers give Comfort to shoppers

    2007-03-10T00:00:00Z

    A scented shelf barker is the latest innovation to hit the laundry aisle and forms part of an in-store media first for Unilever's Comfort brand.The initiative brings together Comfort with The Co-operative Group, which has signed a...

  • News

    In Brief: Bags not recycled; Focus group online; Clarification

    2007-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Bags not recycled Forty two per cent of Brits fail to recycle their plastic bags, according to Somerfield. The retailer is offering shoppers a free bag for life each time they return five used carrier bags. Focus group...

  • News

    Co-op Group's produce gets upmarket revamp

    2007-03-03T00:00:00Z

    New-look packaging is being rolled out across the entire fresh produce category at The Co-operative Group. By the end of June, packaging on all 330 fresh produce lines will have been revamped, and many products improved, according to Sue...

  • News

    Hi-tech line polishes the look of salad

    2007-02-24T00:00:00Z

    A new, high-speed production system that eliminates the need for drying salads and enhances shelf life and appearance has been commissioned by Lancashire-based Salads to Go, which supplies The Co-operative Group with salad.A vacuum and...

  • News

    still in the fight

    2007-02-24T00:00:00Z

    ?It's been a tough year for the top overseas and private equity-owned chains - none more so than Kwik Save. Since its split from Somerfield, it has endured the departure of four MDs, plummeting market share, shocking availability and speculation...

  • News

    cop a load of this - shoot-out in somerfield

    2007-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Staff at Somerfield's Wells store got a taste of Hollywood when Simon Pegg, creator of the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, asked to film his latest movie in the supermarket he worked in as a teenager. The film, Hot Fuzz, in which Pegg...

  • News

    Fairtrade importer names Bowes MD

    2007-02-17T00:00:00Z

    Fairtrade fruit importer Agrofair has appointed a former Co-operative Group man as managing director. John Bowes spent 20 years at the Co-op and was chief general manager of strategy before he left to write about Fairtrade in...

  • News

    Somerfield shakes up its retail field teams

    2007-02-10T00:00:00Z

    Somerfield has completed a major revamp of its retail field teams in a bid to better support its newly restructured 977-strong store estate.Former regional director Nick Wood moves to the new role of retail development director. He will...

  • News

    Co-op's on a roll with sustainability

    2007-02-10T00:00:00Z

    Co-operative Group chief executive Martin Beaumont (pictured) got his roll out for the society's latest roll-out this week. In what is far from a bogstandard initiative, the Co-op has vowed only to sell household tissue products made from...

  • News

    Birds stay on shopping lists despite avian flu

    2007-02-10T00:00:00Z

    Shoppers are showing little sign that they have been scared off by bird flu with only Tesco and Somerfield reporting a dip in poultry sales. Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Asda all said sales were unaffected. Sainsbury's added that calls to...

  • News

    Top-Up shop

    2007-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Who we visited. Sainsbury's Local Chessington, Surrey. Your Local Co-op Elburton, Plymouth. Keystore Kirkintilloch, Glasgow. Londis Morpeth Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Spar Brockham, Surrey. How they...

  • News

    Staff sacked in immigration crackdown

    2007-02-03T00:00:00Z

    A swoop by police and immigration officers on The Co-operative Group's food distribution centre in Coventry has led to 26 people being dismissed. The workers were fired for a number of different reasons and some had subsequently been...

  • News

    Property prices force Anglian sale to co-op

    2007-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Independent retailer Anglian Convenience Stores has sold up to East of England Co-operative Society, blaming competition for sites from the multiples. Anglian joint MD Bob Surridge said the chain was unable to achieve economies of scale...

  • News

    Skiving Somerfield staff film Jackass pranks for YouTube

    2007-01-27T00:00:00Z

    Bored supermarket staff are competing with each other to stage the wackiest stunt in their stores - and posting the videos on YouTube. Skiving workers from Somerfield branches across Britain have filmed more than 50 home-made videos of...