Tesco click & collect

Tesco eyes click & collect

Sir, Tesco’s mega-merger move is just part of its evolution as in today’s grocery market, convenience is king. Time-poor Brits continue to shift from buying in bulk to engaging in constant or more frequent top-ups from local stores, with click & collect increasingly popular. This potential acquisition puts a Tesco-owned store (or pick-up point) in the heart of more communities and will help the grocery giant climb a higher rung on the e-commerce ladder.

Nathan Freegard, strategist, Fitch



Plan how you can benefit

Sir, Suppliers need to be developing their growth plans now in the light of the Tesco mega-merger. The likelihood is that it will make Tesco even stronger in small stores and c-stores, with an important emphasis on fresh and own label, and similarly e-commerce. Fmcg suppliers should start asking themselves what will justify their products winning space across all channels.

If they are into own label, they need to identify a new own-label strategy and if they’re in fresh, where suppliers can be less category or shopper-centric, now is the time to become so.

Andrew Cole, joint MD, Bridgethorne



Diabetic factor in carbs

Sir, You recently published a letter from the CEO of Stute Foods (21 January, p25) extolling the fact its sugar-free preserves contain very little added sugar. What he didn’t state was that the preserves contain on average 60g of carbohydrate per 100g of product. Carbohydrates are just sugar in a different form and as such dangerous to diabetics. These products should not be promoted as suitable for diabetics as they are on the Stute Foods website.

Stephen Duffy, retired




Cut Scotch tax

Sir, When you tell people that 77% of the average price of a bottle of Scotch whisky is made up of tax - excise duty and VAT - the reaction is usually one of surprise. Few people are aware that Scotch, one of the nation’s best-known products, is taxed at such an onerous level. To address this unfairness, we’re calling on the Chancellor to ‘Stand up for Scotch’ and cut spirits excise duty by 2% in the UK Budget. A fairer tax for whisky would also boost Treasury revenue. Spirits duty revenue rose by £123m after a 2% duty cut in 2015.

Julie Hesketh-Laird, Scotch Whisky Association acting CEO

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