All articles by James Ball – Page 9
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News
Fund offers businesses an alternative to banks
A new investment fund designed to plug the “funding gap” for promising small businesses has been launched.
The £10m fund will offer high-growth consumer businesses up to £2m investment and advice from a panel of industry experts, all… -
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Will Mandelson's business aid plan get credit flowing?
Some in the grocery trade are questioning just how effective the Government's Working Capital Scheme is likely to be, reports James Ball
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Analysis & FeaturesPromo Dynamic: Wine defies detox to stay in top spot
Retailers hope consumers are giving the usual January detox a miss this year, as wine extends its lead at the top of the Promo Dynamic table
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News
Retail rice price stuck six times higher than the commodity cost
The shelf price of a bag of rice is more than six times the cost of the commodity, The Grocer can reveal.The cost of importing rice rocketed from about $400/tonne (£274/tonne) to more than $1,100/tonne last May amid severe supply shortages....
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Analysis & Features
Promo Dynamic: Retailers get set for tough new year
All change in the Promo Dynamic top 50 as retailers shift their promotional tactics after the excesses of Christmas
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News
Collapse in sterling fuels fresh hike in food price inflation
The price of food in the big four supermarkets rose sharply in December – flying in the face of retailer claims that inflation had peaked.
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News
Premier suppliers’ trade insurance limit cut again
Trade credit insurers have reduced Premier Foods’ suppliers’ cover for the second time in a month.
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Tesco press ads hit back at Asda cheapest claim
Tesco is challenging Asda’s positioning as the UK’s cheapest supermarket with a new campaign claiming Asda’s big green arrow ads are “misleading”.The new Tesco adverts use items collected from Clubcard data on 220,000 shops on Friday 2...
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Supermarkets adopt fresh tactics as price war escalates
January sales are nothing new - but this year the supermarkets are taking a brave longer-term approach. James Ball reports on the latest pricing battle
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Retailers try to avoid empty shelves by helping suppliers
As the financial crisis pushes suppliers to the brink, supermarkets have started to give them more support. But will it last, asks James Ball
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Sainsbury's cracks availability
Sainsbury's has overcome its traditional Achilles' heel, boosting its availability from 96.3% to 98.2% and leaping from last place, in The Grocer 33 half-year review last year, to first."This is great news," said Sainsbury's director of...
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Analysts optimistic as Premier talks to investors over debt
Analysts have welcomed Premier Foods' confirmation of talks with potential investors as the company works to restructure its £1.8bn debt - but warned that talks were still at an early stage.The company is rumoured to be seeking £300m to...
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NewsGrocer 33: Waitrose turns up the goodwill
At this time of goodwill to all men, it seems only fitting that this year's final top store award has been won primarily for great service.
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NewsGrocer 33: Morrisons has the last word on price
Morrisons has won the final pricing contest of 2008, making it two weeks in a row at the top. Asda was firmly shunted into second place by Morrisons' £53.09 basket, which was a full £1.87 cheaper than the usual champion of cheap's £54.96 offering...
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NewsGrocer 33: End of year review - downturn makes price fight fiercer
Asda remains the retailer with the lowest prices but is having to work harder than ever to retain its pricing crown. The big four have responded aggressively to the economic downturn, with Tesco launching its discount brands...
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News
Waitrose opts for targeted cuts over VAT price move
Waitrose has not passed on last month’s VAT cut to customers but said it has instead invested the savings in price cuts across a smaller number of items.
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News
Discounters more expensive than big four supermarkets
The discounters are more expensive than all of the big four supermarkets, according to exclusive research carried out for The Grocer, with Asda the cheapest and Aldi charging the highest prices.
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News
Discounters more expensive than big four supermarkets
The discounters are more expensive than all of the big four supermarkets, according to exclusive research carried out for The Grocer, with Asda the cheapest and Aldi charging the highest prices. Using a list of 50 ‘essential’ grocery items, our...
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News
Asda cuts payment times to 20 days to support its suppliers
Small suppliers have reported thawing relations with the big four, as it emerged this week Asda has cut payment times to as little as 20 days.One supplier, whose payment time was cut, said the improvement in terms was a "massively welcome"...
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News
Can you unlock the cash?
'Tis the season to think about money. Specifically, how to get hold of it when the banks are less than brimming - and how to keep hold of it. Love of money may be the root of all evil. But as everyone struggling to keep their heads above water at ...