Much of today’s press focus is on Donald Trump and speciifcally the US president’s so-called ’Liberation Day’ tarrifs. A number of outlets look at the impact of such meaures on the UK and the food and drink sector here. The Times highlights Scotch whisky, salmon, chocolate and cheese as key sectors likely to be hit. The paper also focused on the warning from the NFU against any trade deal with the US that did not “uphold our high standards of production”.
Yesterday’s Kantar UK grocery market share results are also in the spotlight. The Telegraph’s retail editor Hannah Boland looks at how Aldi could take advantage of the ongoing sales slump at Asda to leapfrog the struggling supermarket giant.
The Guardian meanwhile focuses on Kantar’s latest read on food inflation which increased to 3.5% in March versus 3.1% previously. It also reports that UK consumers have so far spent over £140m on Easter eggs and other seasonal confectionery.
Read The Grocer’s take on the Kantar numbers and Aldi and Lidl’s acceleration in growth.
The Daily Mail reports on the £230m sale of deodorant brand Wild to Unilever. The paper can’t resit flagging up the royal connections of Wild co-founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon. He is apparently “a first cousin three times removed of the Queen Mother” and perhaps more significantly, is expected to pocket almost £40m from the deal.
Meanwhile The Standard turns its attentions to Westminster and a new report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health. The group of MPs is calling for major tobacco companies to be subject to a new “pollutor pays” levy which would fund schemes to help reduce smoking rates.
Finally there is an interesting international story from Reuters this morning. It reports that convenience store giants Coucher-Tard and 7-Eleven are struggling to divest stores in North America as they look to ease regulatory concerns ahead of a potential merger.
No comments yet