Marketing

Quorn's secret weapon: Mo Farah

Quorn lifts capacity by 50% to meet surge in US sales

By Michael Stones

Quorn Foods has revealed a 50% increase in production capacity to meet a surge in global sales – particularly from the US and Europe – but has remained silent on reports of a takeover bid.

Take six steps to food manufacturing profit: Marakon

Food manufacturing: six steps to create value

By Christine Delivanis

Times are tough in the European food sector, plagued by industry overcapacity, consumer price sensitivity, grocery price wars and retailer pressure on manufacturers’ economics. But taking six practical steps will help food and drink manufacturers find...

A nutty taste with no nuts

French maize firm offers a nut taste without the need for nuts

By Nicholas Robinson

A novel maize product which gives products a nutty flavour without the use of nuts, will be launched by Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) at next month’s IBA bakery trade fair, which takes place in Munich from September 12 to 17.

Premier Foods has reported sliding first quarter sales

Premier Foods sales hit by early Easter

By Michael Stones

Premier Foods has reported sliding sales in its first quarter results to July 4, due to this year’s early Easter, ahead of its annual general meeting yesterday.

Supermarkets in trouble, says Waitrose boss

Manufacturing is ‘supermarket Armageddon saviour’

By Nicholas Robinson

Supermarkets with their own food manufacturing facilities have a better chance of price war survival, city analysts have claimed, after the boss of Waitrose warned Britain’s biggest retailers would be wiped out by continued price cutting.

Rock bottom prices for bread in supermarket price wars

Bread is ‘price war casualty’ – FoB director

By Nicholas Robinson

Bread is one of the biggest casualties of the supermarket price war, as retailers keep dropping its price to rock bottom levels in a bid to entice shoppers, according to Gordon Polson, Federation of Bakers’ (FoB’s) director.

Last week's warm weather pushed up sales of hand-held ices at Waitrose

Waitrose boasts ready meals growth

By Rod Addy

Ready meals and food-to-go sales soared at Waitrose last week, with Bigham’s and Waitrose own-label Traditional British lines achieving strong sales growth.

Food Manufacture's publisher WRBM featured on the influential Ones to recognise list

Food Manufacture’s publisher in Profit Track listing

By Michael Stones

William Reed Business Media (WRBM) – the publisher responsible for Food Manufacture Group titles and events – has had its business potential recognised by the Profit Track 100 list of top performing businesses.

David Potts has now been at the helm of Morrisons for over a month

Morrisons ‘warned’ to stick with manufacturing

By Nicholas Robinson

Food manufacturing is essential to the future success of Morrisons, this website’s readers have ‘warned’ the retailer’s boss David Potts, following conflicting advice from City analysts.

Debate is raging over coconut oil labelling in the UK

Coconuts causing confusion

By Nicholas Robinson

Consumers are being “misled” by gimmicky and inaccurate coconut oil marketing, claims the Coconoil brand founder Garry Stiven.

Supermarket price war has provided a boost for some manufacturers

Lean processors better placed in the price war

By Nicholas Robinson

The supermarket price war hasn’t been as bad for food manufacturers as some think and has instead provided a boost for many firms, according to business experts.

Morrisons' new boss should implement a seven-point to do list, recommended Shore Capital

Morrisons results to show price war damage

By Michael Stones

Morrisons’ full-year results – to be published on Thursday March 12 – are expected to show another significant fall in profits, reflecting the impact of supermarket price war, as city analyst Shore Capital offered a seven-point to-do list for new ceo...

Premier Foods's sales continued to slide in the fourth quarter of last year

Premier Foods’s sales continue to slide

By Michael Stones

Premier Foods has reported another fall in sales for the fourth quarter of last year, while reaffirming its pledge to drive down costs .

Consumers are more interested in proteins

Consumer interest in protein boosts sector

By Nicholas Robinson

Consumer awareness of protein’s health credentials has given businesses the opportunity to expand into protein-enriched food and drink, new research has claimed.

Ranjit Singh blamed the Q1 profit fall on tough trading conditions

Boparan boss blames profit fall on tough market

By Michael Stones

Boparan boss Ranjit Singh – ceo of the 2 Sisters Food group – has blamed the firm’s nearly £7M fall in like-for-like (LFL) operating profit on tough trading conditions.

Spicy opportunity: five key trends will drive shoppers' purchases next year, predicted Canadean

Top five food trends for next year offer opportunity

By Michael Stones

‘Better-for-you ingredients’ is one of five top trends that will influence the purchase of food and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) next year, predicts market research firm Canadean.

2 Sisters saw net losses of £143.3M, but growth in like-for-like operating profit, pre-tax profit and sales

2 Sisters Food Group hit by costs of £163.5M

By Rod Addy

Costs and charges of £163.5M increased 2 Sisters Food Group’s debts across the past full financial year, according to results just posted by parent company Boparan Holdings.

Asda's market share rose to 17.3% in the 12 weeks ending October 12, said Kantar Worldpanel

Asda wins out as food market enters deflation

By Rod Addy

Asda headed the supermarket pack as the food market officially entered a period of deflation, although consumers were the real winners, according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel figures.

Aldi bosses Roman Heini (left) and Matthew Barnes want shoppers to do their entire weekly shop at their discount stores

Aldi launches new organic range in upmarket bid

By Michael Stones

Discount retailer Aldi has launched what it claims is an affordable range of organic products that will help customers save 25% on their normal British organic basket, as the store continued its drive to offer upmarket products.

Bingham's boosts sales

Interview

Ready meal firm Charlie Bigham’s boasts £26M sales

By Nicholas Robinson

The tough retail environment would not stop posh ready meal's firm Charlie Bigham’s from investing, said the company’s founder after announcing a 46% year-on-year sales growth this week.

Price war pressure was limiting investor activity

Supermarket price war to sting M&A activity

By Nicholas Robinson

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the food and drink manufacturing sector will be stung by the worsening supermarket price wars, a leading analyst has warned.

Sandwich shops such as Gregg's are among the chains leading the way with breakfast menus, says Conlumino

Massive opportunity in morning snacking

By Rod Addy

UK food firms must seize the huge business opportunity afforded by the underdeveloped morning snacking market, as chains such as McDonald’s, KFC, Costa and Starbucks lead the way, according to Conlumino.

Buying likes on Facebook is not good marketing practice, according to the Chartered Institute of Marketing

Ten commandments of social media launched

By Rick Pendrous

Social media should not be used by food and drink manufacturers and retailers to make false marketing claims as a means of driving sales, according to the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), which has launched a campaign to encourage companies to...

Morrisons has pledged to axe the cost of more than 1,000 everyday items

Morrisons slashes prices as supermarket price war looms

By Michael Stones

Morrisons has fired its latest shot in a likely supermarket price war with the pledge that its prices are going to be “permanently cheaper”, as it promised to cut the cost of 1,200 everyday items.

Brands need to engage more with consumers and 'tell a story'

Own-label eats in to branded market share

By Nicholas Robinson

Branded food manufacturers need to establish unique selling points if they are to stem the rising tide of own-label suppliers stealing market share from them, Kantar Worldpanel director Adrian Atterby has warned.

Premier Foods plans a raft of new product development across its brand portfolio

Premier Foods gears up for product launches

By Rod Addy

Premier Foods is preparing product launches and marketing campaigns to hit the market with as the dust settles following the successful completion of its refinancing deal.

Bread is being used as a loss-leader by the supermarkets

Bread will fare better than milk in price wars

By Nicholas Robinson

The bread supply chain will not be affected by the supermarket price wars in the same way as milk, the Federation of Bakers’ director Gordon Polson has said.

Food manufacturers fear for margins as a price war looms

Food firms could pay for supermarket price wars

By Nicholas Robinson

Morrisons has refused to confirm or deny suggestions it is preparing to slash suppliers’ prices, in a bid to combat discounters Aldi and Lidl, as top analysts predict food manufacturers could fall victim to a supermarket price war.

Sainsbury boss Justin King blamed the long shadow cast by the horsemeat crisis for halting the retailer's long run of like-for-like sales growth

Sainsbury reports LFL sales down ‘thanks to horsemeat’

By Michael Stones

Sainsbury has ended its nine-year run of like-for-like (LFL) sales growth, with news they fell by 3.8%, in the 10 weeks to March 15, partly due to the horsemeat crisis, says chief executive Justin King. 

Almost 90% of consumers pledged to pay more for Fairtrade bananas

UK consumers would pay more for Fairtrade bananas

By Laurence Gibbons

Almost 90% of UK consumers have pledged to pay more for Fairtrade bananas, if the extra cost benefited farmers and workers’ lives, according to a new survey by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Premium ready meals have benefited at the expense of 'value' products

Premium ready meals growth bucks the trend

By Michael Stones

Premium ready meals sales grew by up to 8% last year, despite more than half (65%) of consumers reporting plans to eat fewer such products and cook more, says customer insight agency Engage Research.

The ASA agreed with Premier Foods and Allied Bakeries that the Warburtons' advert was misleading

Warburtons’ ad banned after Premier Foods complains

By Michael Stones

A national press advert from Warburtons – stating ‘No.1 Now London's biggest bakers’ – has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), after complaints from Premier Foods and Allied Bakeries.

Boparan: ‘Taking actions to address chilled performance'

Poultry giant strives to address losses

By Rod Addy

2 Sisters Food Group wrestled to right its balance sheet in the first quarter (Q1) of its current financial year, with weak profit performance casting a shadow on strong sales growth.

Rick Pendrous, editor, Food Manufacture

Price and provenance win the retailer race

By Rick Pendrous

Price – though very important – isn’t enough for the multiple retailers any more. In their quest for differentiation, other considerations, such as provenance, have become even more important.