Suppliers have hit back at Tesco over fees to sell produce online, warning that tough new fees imposed by Tesco on produce sold through its website could put them out of business. The smallest suppliers - those with contracts of £250,000 or less - are set to be exempt but businesses such as fruit and vegetable growers, which sell via larger middlemen, fear the costs will trickle down to them. (The Times £)

Business retail consultant Ged Futter said Tesco’s move was “outrageous”. The retail price consultant said he received 15 calls from suppliers on Thursday afternoon. They all told him they would refuse to pay the fee. As Tesco was not accepting price increases from suppliers there would soon be more gaps on the supermarket shelves. (The BBC)

Fever-Tree will this week add another leg to its business to put some fizz in its sales when it launches its first cocktail mixers. Having recently added an adult soft drinks range alongside its classic tonics and other mixers, the company is now launching mixers to add to spirits to create cocktails. (The Times £)

The most active investor in growing companies founded by women, BGF, has taken a £6m stake in Scrumbles, a natural pet food brand that had previously turned down cash from Dragons’ Den. (The Times £)

Large corporations have fuelled inflation with price increases that go beyond rising costs of raw materials and wages, pushing shopping bills to record highs, according to union Unite. Highlighting a trend dubbed “greedflation”, the research claims that supermarkets, food manufacturers and shipping companies are among hundreds of major firms who have improved their profits and protected shareholder dividends. (The Guardian)

Consumer goods companies had a remarkably strong 2022, despite a sharp rise in raw material costs and stretched household budgets. That is a testament to the power of brands. But only companies able to maintain the lustre of their product names can pull this off consistently. (The Financial Times £)

The UK’s leading supermarkets have formed a task force that will fund independent audits on British farms after investors called on food retailers to eliminate the risk of worker exploitation in their supply chains. (The Financial Times £)

France’s financial prosecutor revealed it has been investigating food retail group Casino for financial manipulation and insider trading that allegedly took place in 2018 and 2019 when the group was locked in a battle with short sellers while struggling under heavy debts. (The Financial Times £)

Lidl is lifting restrictions on the sale of fruit and vegetables as supply issues begin to ease. (The BBC)

Booths, the supermarket chain known as the “Waitrose of the north”, has confirmed that it is the retailer linked with a possible case of food fraud after imported beef was falsely labelled as British. (The Guardian)

The chief executive of Wagamama has said chain restaurants will never be as ubiquitous as they were pre-pandemic, but insisted they will not disappear from Britain’s high streets altogether. (The Telegraph £)

Boots is cutting the points per pound shoppers can earn on their loyalty card by a quarter, while offering discounts on its own-brand products. (The Guardian)

Business confidence in Britain is rising, the latest economic surveys suggest. A survey by Accenture and S&P Global, the corporate advisers, has found that business confidence is at its highest level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine 12 months ago. (The Times £)

Tate & Lyle’s Nick Hampton: Healthy food is the key ingredient in our success. The chief executive is on a mission to make our meals and snacks largely sugar-free. (The Times £)

The FT’s sister publication Investors’ Chronicle suggests Greggs as a buying opportunity. Management thinks there is potential for “significantly more” than 3,000 UK shops as baker Greggs delivered a resilient annual performance despite continuing cost inflation pressures weighing down profit growth. (The Financial Times £)

The playground Prime craze is a lesson in modern marketing. Influencers targeting today’s teens are selling to a sophisticated audience complicit in the game of online hype. (The Financial Times £)

Topics