All articles by Alex Black
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News
A state of civil unrest
With retail crime on the rise, supermarkets aren’t taking any chances and are turning to third parties to monitor crime and recoup losses. But are they justified? Alex Black reports
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NewsSmithfield Foods sells RMH and Maverick
US meat processor Smithfield Foods has offloaded all of the assets of RMH Foods, which produces beef…
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NewsBuffett warns Kraft on Cadbury bid
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has urged Kraft to keep its head when it weighs up its final bid for Cadbury.
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News
Waitrose wine boss heads for Direct Wines
Direct Wines has completed a swoop for Waitrose wine chief Justin Howard-Sneyd.
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News
Mugabe henchmen storm Nestlé HQ
The Zimabawean office of Nestlé has been blockaded after the Swiss manufacturer stopped buying milk from a farm owned by President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace.
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NewsYorkshire Tesco plan sent to court
Plans for a new Tesco in the Yorkshire town of Driffield have been delayed after a judicial review into planning consent was called.
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News
Partnering with charity can make good business sense
Charities in the grocery sector are taking a more professional and commercially minded approach as they scale up their activities, as Alex Black reports
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News
Wanis spreads its Reggae roots
Afro-Caribbean food and drink distributor Wanis is on track with its expansion plans despite the recession - and relcation forced by the Olympics. Alex Black reports
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News
Expansion potential calms City jitters over Sainsbury’s
A resurgent Tesco, slowing food price inflation, lower growth: how worried should Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King be? Alex Black reports
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News
Gramias 2009: And the show did go on
Last week's Gramia awards showcased the advertising and marketing sector's determination not to let the recession hamper creativity. Alex Black reports
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NewsM&S extends brands nationwide as profits stay flat
Marks & Spencer is to sell branded products in all its UK stores following a successful trial.
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NewsSir Terry criticising education standards hints at defection
Retailers usually confine their political comments to tax and regulations. But could Sir Terry’s foray into education be the start of a new career? By Alex Black
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NewsSainsbury’s sales growth slows
Sainsbury’s has posted like-for-like sales growth of 4.6% for the past three months – down from the 7% rate of the previous quarter.
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News
How radical do we need to be?
Wine in cans? Boxless breakfast cereals? Milk cartons made of chalk? Corn-based plastic? We look at the latest innovations - and what's on the drawing board. By Adam Leyland, Alex Black and Joanne Grew
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News
Where there’s muck, there’s brass
Vital Earth is on an eco-mission to turn food waste into environmentally friendly peat-free compost - and to get it listed in the major grocery retailers. Alex Black reports
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NewsDiscounters' growth slows again
Shoppers are returning to mainstream retailers as their love affair with the discounters draws to an end, new figures show.
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NewsPolice called in after Asda chicken-licking scandal
Asda has reported a former employee to police after being handed video footage of him licking fresh chickens before replacing packaging and putting them back on the shelves.
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Rankings
The Billetts Top 100 FMCG Advertisers
The UK’s biggest-spending brands are refusing to scale back on advertising despite tough economic times. Why are they pouring money into ad campaigns rather than trimming costs? Alex Black reportsAd agencies, media planners, even business school professors will be able to show you famous case studies Lucky Strike, Kellogg’s Corn ...
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News
Swine flu HQ
Now the health authorities have asked supermarkets to act as collection points for antiviral drugs, will stores start to play a more central role in tackling the swine flu pandemic? Alex Black and Sarah Butler report
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News
Portion size: it may be on the label, but it’s not being read
The packet might say a dish serves two but 38% of people won't read it and another third won't believe it. Alex Black asks what's going wrong