Long reads – Page 2
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Analysis & Features
How can independent convenience stores defend their prices?
Supermarkets have opened a new front in their pricing battle, offering Aldi Price matching in their convenience stores. So what can independents do to persuade shoppers they still offer value?
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Analysis & Features
How Aberdeenshire farm shop Marshall’s became a local hero
Marshall’s Farm Shop & Kitchen prides itself on being a family business with a local focus
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Analysis & Features
Poundland: what’s gone wrong and what can it do to fix it?
Distracted by an expansion opportunity, management ‘took their eye off the ball’ as a crisis was developing in the customer offer
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Analysis & Features
Should Amazon be worried about Tesco’s marketplace?
Tesco Marketplace has swelled by over 1,000% to 300,000 SKUs
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Analysis & Features
Is Veganuary losing steam? Or adapting to the future of plant-based?
Since launching in 2014, Veganuary has established itself as a key date in the calendar. But this year, activity is more muted. So does Veganuary need to adapt to a new environment? And what does it say about the future of plant-based?
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Interviews
David Murray: the Pladis boss bringing fun to the digestive
Having ‘fixed the fundamentals’, Pladis’ UK & Ireland MD is pumping out NPD and hosting a big party for the ‘king’ of its lineup, which is turning 100
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Analysis & Features
Christmas 2024: what were the highs and hiccups for supermarkets?
Supermarkets took the cheap veg battle to a new low of 8p this Christmas. How did it pan out and what else did they try?
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Analysis & Features
Retail ranking: Christmas 2024 grocery league table
With last year’s golden quarter now firmly behind us, we round up how supermarkets fared during the crucial 2024/25 Christmas trading period
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Interviews
How ‘customer-centric’ CEO Rodrigo Maza plans to revive Naked Wines
Naked Wines boss Maza is moving away from vouchers as he looks to retain ‘the right kind of customers’ – and achieve profitability
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Analysis & Features
Commodities outlook: what threats lie ahead in 2025?
Unpredictable and extreme weather, the threat of US tariffs, and instability in the Middle East will all affect food commodities
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Analysis & Features
The Scottish Bee Company: evolving to embody ‘the essence of a Scottish larder’
Passionate about bees, Iain and Suzie Millar launched their business in 2017 with heather honey, before expanding into dressings, vinegars and a charity to promote pollinators
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Analysis & Features
Stock market review of 2024: who were the major risers and fallers in the City?
M&S and Greencore were among the City’s major winners for 2024, while Ocado and B&M had a tough year
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Analysis & Features
Dragons’ Den turns 20: how has it shaped fmcg entrepreneurship?
This January marks 20 years since Dragons’ Den first graced our screens on the BBC. From Levi Roots to Amelia Christie-Miller, founders look back on their experience in the Den and consider the show’s impact on the sector
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Analysis & Features
2024 in grocery: nine rapid delivery stories that got hearts racing
It was a monumental year for quick commerce as we round up the nine rapid delivery stories that got hearts racing in 2024
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Analysis & Features
2024 in grocery: this year’s biggest sustainability stories
Climate change is wreaking havoc and companies are slacking off in their environmental efforts – but it wasn’t all bad news in the fmcg sustainability space this year
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Analysis & Features
2024 in grocery: marketing wins, fails and viral stunts
It has been a big year for marketing in the grocery sector, with supermarkets and fmcg brands hoping to drive sales with clever advertising, retail media and of course those all-important promotional stunts
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Analysis & Features
2024 in grocery: Eight tech stories that got tongues wagging
2024 was a huge year for technology in the grocery sector, with supermarkets countering fraud, wrangling with data and testing cutting-edge kit
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Analysis & Features
2024 in grocery: Seven trends that influenced food and drink innovation
From Wicked collabs to the K-food wave, we look at the inspiration behind grocery’s most significant trend-led food and drink launches for 2024
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Analysis & Features
Christmas 2024 unpacked: posh turkeys, cheap veg and everything in between
Christmas dinner is always a major battleground for supermarkets, as they battle to ensure they are consumers’ first choice for all the festive essentials
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Analysis & Features
Supermarket Christmas and New Year’s Eve opening times
A round-up of all the Christmas and new year opening hours for all the major supermarkets, including Tesco, Aldi and Sainsbury’s