more supermarket news & analysis – Page 825
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News
Asda trumps Tesco discount move
As revealed on thegrocer.co.uk (15 September), Tesco this week launched a new range of 350 discounted items in response to the recent gains made by discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. But the news was trumped yesterday when Asda signalled a major price war by slashing the cost of 5,000 items, including every product in its Smart Price range, as Asda chief executive Andy Bond said food inflation had peaked.
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News
Asda slashes 5,000 prices as Bond claims inflation has 'peaked'
Asda has today announced over 5,000 price cuts and said that food price inflation has peaked. From tomorrow Asda will cut the price of every Smart Price product and is claiming shoppers could cut their shopping bill by 50% by switching. It is also lowering the prices of some branded goods and own-label products.
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Tesco in bid to become 'Britain's biggest discounter'
The "biggest ever launch", to be unveiled this week, will see Tesco become "Britain's biggest discounter", The Grocer can exclusively reveal. A completely new 350-strong range of low-cost products features two new lines: 'Market Value' will be a new fruit and veg line, while the second line, dubbed 'Discounter', includes ...
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Shoppers urged to boycott multiples over cost of organic
The Soil Association is advising consumers to save money on organic food by spurning the supermarkets – using box schemes, co-ops and farmers’ markets instead. In an apparent u-turn for the association, policy director Peter Melchett said organic...
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Premium grocer Waitrose says it’s cheaper than Aldi
It is known as a premium retailer and is always the most expensive supermarket in The Grocer 33 weekly pricing survey. Yet this week, Waitrose claimed it was cheaper than hard discounter Aldi – in six of its 25 categories at least. Unveiling a 2.5%...
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News
BWG in talks to buy Fresh supermarkets
BWG, the Irish-owned retail group that runs the Spar and Mace franchises, is in talks to acquire Fresh, a Dublin-based supermarket chain with four outlets across the city. Fresh was set up two years ago by local businessman Noel Smith with the...
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Co-op store refurbishment up to 2,000
As its store refurbishment programme hit the 2,000 store mark this week, The Co-operative Group said it was on course to revamp 700 food stores this calendar year, and all of its 4,200 estate by the end of 2009. The Co-operative food store at Locks...
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News
Asda fights VAT with smoothie discounts
Asda has knocked the VAT off the price of all the 100% juices and smoothies it stocks as part of an ongoing campaign to persuade the Government to cut VAT on ‘healthy’ drinks. The supermarket chain is hoping the price cut, which will run for three...
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Brandless McBride is jilted at the supermarket altar
Although the credit crunch should nudge consumers toward private-label goods, McBride’s profits are plummeting. What’s going wrong, asks Chloe Smith
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Cheese price pushed up 10% by multiples
The retail price of cheese has risen by nearly 10% over the past week as supermarkets claimed they were responding to farmers’ calls for higher returns. Asda was the first to put up the price of 250g of own-label English mild white Cheddar by 9% to...
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QSM label moved to front of Tesco pork
Tesco has moved the British Quality Standard Mark on to the front of pork packs to underline its support for struggling British pig producers. The supermarket previously included the marque on the backs and sides of packs, but has now printed some...
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News
Thrifty shoppers switch to pouting and pollack
Consumers switching to lower-cost fish and endorsement by celebrity chefs have helped double pollack and pouting sales. Morrisons reported this week that sales of pouting were up by more than 100% and pollack by 97%, albeit from a low base, while...
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News
Loch Duart acquires Salar Smokehouse
Scottish salmon farmer Loch Duart has moved into the value-added sector with the acquisition of Hebridean smokery Salar Smokehouse. Loch Duart sells fresh salmon through fish counters in Sainsbury’s and other outlets, and was already supplying...
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News
Charlie’s class conflict
There’s no escaping class in the UK. Last week former Fast Show funnyman and kids’ author Charlie Higson was scoping out his local Waitrose researching a new book about a post-apocalyptic world without adults. The book sees one gang of middle-class...
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News
Tight Scots to see Nectar points cut
Sainsbury’s is changing the terms of its Nectar card in Scotland so shoppers spending under £50 will now earn just one point per pound rather than two. An incremental scale has been introduced to reward shoppers with extra points for spending more,...
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News
Yorkshire range by Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group has teamed up with local producers in Yorkshire to bring together products from the county in a branded range. Made In Yorkshire, available in 38 The Co-operative stores in Yorkshire, includes products such as beer, ice cream...
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News
Venison pizza ready to debut in Scotland
A venison pizza, thought to be the first commercially available on a wide scale, will make its debut in Sainsbury’s stores in the first week of November. The pizza has been developed by game processor Highland Game and Scottish-Italian pizza...
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NewsGrocer 33: Asda beaten to first place by Morrisons
Asda has been knocked off the top spot for price for the first time in three weeks by Morrisons, which undercut its nearest rival by just 26p to scoop the title of cheapest retailer.
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Asda shuns celebs for new George ads
Asda is to use regular people - rather than professional models or celebrities - in the latest advertising campaign for its George clothing line, after saying it felt "wrong" to pay for celebrity endorsement during an economic downturn.
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Suppliers shocked as own-label blitz launched on brands
Branded suppliers were left reeling this week as Tesco and Sainsbury’s both launched concerted campaigns promoting their own-label ranges at the expense of brands. Sainsbury’s announced a massive Switch & Save campaign, across all media, that will...