Whether you think Sainsbury's is doing better than Tesco or vice versa (an apples and pears scenario if ever there was one), there's no getting away from the fact that growth has slowed for both.
Most of this is down to food inflation, which has tumbled from more than 14% a few months ago to circa 4%, according to the GPI. In short, the big four weren't doing as well as figures earlier in the year suggested and with inflation now stripped from the equation, the picture emerging is one of a sector that needs to pull out all the stops to drive genuine growth.
Every category will need to work harder than ever to justify its place on shelf. Not easy at the best of times, but in the era of what Andy Bond rather chillingly describes as "democratic consumerism", it could prove an impossible task for some.
"Consumer wants, consumer gets" is the basic philosophy at work here and luckily for premium ready meals and wine, consumer wants. Justin King claimed this week that sales had leapt 25% and 50% respectively at Sainsbury's over the past quarter.
Unfortunately for other categories, consumer doesn't want. The best that organic can claim is sales are not falling as steeply as they were a year ago and this week's news that Tesco and Asda have slashed about a third of their organic lines (see p5) will come as a bitter blow.
Both retailers blame falling sales and Asda claims its shoppers are more interested in local than organic. That may be so. (The sector could certainly have done more to communicate its benefits more effectively and justify its price premium.) But it has been done no favours by the retailers helpfully "choice editing" their ranges something that, interestingly, they haven't done with sustainably sourced fish (see p6).
They may have pledged to support organic, but actions clearly speak louder than words.
Most of this is down to food inflation, which has tumbled from more than 14% a few months ago to circa 4%, according to the GPI. In short, the big four weren't doing as well as figures earlier in the year suggested and with inflation now stripped from the equation, the picture emerging is one of a sector that needs to pull out all the stops to drive genuine growth.
Every category will need to work harder than ever to justify its place on shelf. Not easy at the best of times, but in the era of what Andy Bond rather chillingly describes as "democratic consumerism", it could prove an impossible task for some.
"Consumer wants, consumer gets" is the basic philosophy at work here and luckily for premium ready meals and wine, consumer wants. Justin King claimed this week that sales had leapt 25% and 50% respectively at Sainsbury's over the past quarter.
Unfortunately for other categories, consumer doesn't want. The best that organic can claim is sales are not falling as steeply as they were a year ago and this week's news that Tesco and Asda have slashed about a third of their organic lines (see p5) will come as a bitter blow.
Both retailers blame falling sales and Asda claims its shoppers are more interested in local than organic. That may be so. (The sector could certainly have done more to communicate its benefits more effectively and justify its price premium.) But it has been done no favours by the retailers helpfully "choice editing" their ranges something that, interestingly, they haven't done with sustainably sourced fish (see p6).
They may have pledged to support organic, but actions clearly speak louder than words.
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