Supermarket

Morrisons has appointed Kevin Havelock as a non-executive director

Morrisons makes senior appointment

By Gwen Ridler

Morrisons has appointed Unilever’s Refreshment division president Kevin Havelock as a non-executive director, effective from February next year.

Asda has recalled packs of baby food, after small pieces of plastic were found in one of the products

Plastic contamination sparks Asda recall

By Gwen Ridler

Asda has been forced to recall packs of its own-label baby food, after one of the products was contaminated with small pieces of plastic.

Morrisons has posts sales and profit growth in its interim results

Morrisons reveals rise in sales and profits

By Gwen Ridler

Morrisons has revealed a rise in sales and profits for the first half of this year in its interim results, released yesterday (September 14), as it sees results from its ‘Fix, rebuild and grow’ strategy.

Christine Tacon urged food and drink suppliers to familiarise themselves with the Grocery Supply Code of Practice

Suppliers urged to learn Groceries Code

By Gwen Ridler

Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has urged food and drink suppliers to familiarise themselves with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP), in order to strengthen their hand in negotiations with retailers.

UK grocery price rise and shoppers buy less, according to a new Nielsen report

UK grocery market sees 2.9% growth year-on-year

By Gwen Ridler

UK grocery sales have grown 2.9% year-on-year, according to a new report from information specialist Nielsen, as the European grocery market grew at the fastest rate in three years. 

Sainsbury had worked with suppliers to reduce prices

Sainsbury cuts prices after supplier talks

By Matt Atherton

Sainsbury has “worked with suppliers” to cut its prices lower than the other big four supermarkets, claimed the retailer in its first-quarter trading report.

Christine Tacon: ‘The collaborative approach that I have promoted has been a real engine of change’

Complaints to Groceries Code Adjudicator fall

By Rick Pendrous

Far fewer food and drink suppliers are complaining of abuses from their big retailer customers, according to the results of the annual online survey published by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) today (June 26).

Country of origin information for food and drink must be made clearer when shopping online, the NFU said

Product origin labels ‘must be made clearer online’

By Matt Atherton

Country of origin information for food and drink should be displayed by online retailers, just as it is on supermarket shelves, to help shoppers choose British produce, the National Farmers Union (NFU) claims.

Chilled foods are enjoying a resurgence, claims the Rick Bestwick firm

Chilled food demand hots up: cold storage specialist

By Rick Pendrous

Chilled foods continue to find favour with UK consumers, it has emerged, following news from temperature-controlled food specialist Rick Bestwick that it is handling more chilled products than ever before.

Morrisons reported a 3.4% rise in group like-for-like sales

Morrisons thanks food makers after sales rise

By Matt Atherton

Morrisons reported a 3.4% rise in group like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, in its first-quarter trading update, as chief executive David Potts again thanked the supermarket’s team of food makers and retailers.

Marks & Spencer is to trial an online food service this autumn

Marks & Spencer to test online food service

By Gwen Ridler

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has set out plans to trial its own online food shopping service, as it prepares to compete with the industry’s leading online food retailers.

Late payment in food and drink was disputed by the Groceries Code Adjudicator

Grocery adjudicator disputes late payment a problem

By Matt Atherton

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon has insisted there is “no evidence” of late payments by supermarkets to their suppliers, despite the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) arguing the complete opposite.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has failed to deliver, claims Duncan Swift of accountancy firm Moore Stephens

Groceries code boss ‘has failed to deliver’

By Rick Pendrous


The future of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon and the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) has been put in doubt because so few investigations had been undertaken since they were both set up, a food and drink sector insolvency...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has welcomed an increase in contact from suppliers

Supermarket forecasting errors and ‘pay to stay’ hurt suppliers

By Rick Pendrous

Supermarkets charging for forecasting errors, consumer complaints, margin maintenance, payments to remain listed – or being delisted without sufficient notice – or for better positioning instore and delayed payments, are some of the top problems raised...

Amazon has already launched its fresh delivery service in the UK

Amazon could open drive-thru stores

By Rick Pendrous

Amazon could target the UK next for its drive-thru grocery stores, following reports that the online retail giant planned to open its first drive-thru in Seattle in the US, it has emerged.

The Topping Pie Company has found export success in New Zealand. Roger (left) and Matt (right) Topping

Export success for pork pie producer

By Gwen Ridler

A Yorkshire bakery has secured export success down under, after sending its first order of pies to foodstores in New Zealand.

Morrisons searches for hundreds of extra farmer suppliers. Photo by Jonathan Colon, skatesphere.com

Morrisons seeks at least 200 new British suppliers

By Matt Atherton

Morrisons is seeking at least 200 new British food and drink suppliers, it revealed today (February 17), after a report claimed only 52% of food eaten in the UK came from British farmers.

The 12-week notice period commonly used for terminating retail supply agreements may be challenged more in the courts

Supplier notice periods come under scrutiny

By Rick Pendrous

The 12-week notice period commonly used for terminating retail supply agreements looks set to be challenged more in the courts, according to a legal expert.

Christmas food and drink sales predicted to boost grocery market by 1.2% (Flickr/Simon Pearson)

Christmas food sales to boost grocery market

By Matt Atherton

The UK grocery market is predicted to grow by 1.2% this Christmas, delivering a “strong result for manufacturers”, claims grocery think-tank IGD.

The role of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, Christine Tacon, should be extended, it has been argued

Grocery code boss ‘should have her role extended’

By Rick Pendrous

The government’s review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s (GCA’s) role and remit, announced last month, has been welcomed by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, unions and food groups, which has called for the GCA’s powers to be strengthened.

Morrisons raises price of Marmite

Morrisons raises price of Marmite by 12.5%

By Matt Atherton

Morrisons has raised the price of 92 Unilever products, including Marmite, just days after Tesco’s highly public row over Unilever’s price increase demands.

Marmite sales grew as a result of publicity created during the Tesco and Unilever pricing dispute

Marmite sales boosted by Tesco price dispute

By Gwen Ridler

Marmite sales were boosted by £335,000 this month, thanks to publicity created during a high profile dispute between UK retailer Tesco and manufacturer Unilever over pricing.

Tacon: ‘I also need to encourage the small suppliers to get involved’

Shelf-space payments face GCA scrutiny

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink manufacturers are being urged to participate in a consultation that aims to find out whether retailers are asking their suppliers to pay for better positioning of goods or expanded shelf-space.

Asda sales have fallen for the eighth consecutive quarter

Asda announces worst-ever sales slump

By Gwen Ridler

Asda has announced its worst-ever quarterly sales drop, the eighth consecutive quarter for falling sales at the British retailer.

Food manufacturers came together to battle supply chain efficiency

Food manufacturing giants team up to combat the retail crisis

By Matt Atherton

Food and drink manufacturing giants – including Nestlé, Unilever and Coca-Cola – have joined forces with high-street retailers to tackle supply chain efficiencies and waste reduction, as part of the new Retail Grocery Advisory Board.

The growth of online grocery shopping will boost branded products at the expense of own-label: Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

Branded goods to benefit from online growth

By Noli Dinkovski

The growth of online grocery shopping through the likes of Amazon Fresh and Ocado will significantly boost branded products at the detriment of own-label, the founder of the Black Farmer brand has claimed.