A quiet day in the papers as expected as half-term gets fully underway, however, Majestic Wine’s decision to scrap its six-bottle minimum garners plenty of space.
The Financial Times notes that after 25 years of selling wine by the case, the retailer will start selling it by the bottle from this morning. It is part of CEO Rowan Gormley’s plan to become more competitive with supermarket convenience stores. He said the move was not enough to compete with the likes of Tesco and Asda, but it was a “first step”. “I think this is one piece of the puzzle,” he added. “The complete puzzle has to be delivering a customer experience which is better than everyone else.” The Times accompanies Gormley on a tour of a flagship store in St Albans which has been testing the new model of selling individual bottles since June. It calls the new plans the “first big move” in the CEO’s turnaround plan for Majestic.
The other big story of the day in food is the report by the World Health Organisation which linked bacon, sausages and ham to cancer. The Guardian reports the response of Britain’s meat industry which, unsurprisingly, hit back at the study. An advisory body funded by British meat producers said the key to preventing cancer was avoiding heavy drinking, not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight. “Red and processed meats do not give you cancer,” a member of the Meat Advisory Panel said. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which is funded by the farming industry, also played down the report’s findings. And the National Farmers’ Union said the scientific and medical communities had backed red meat consumption at recommended quantities as beneficial to health. A more in-depth piece looks at the muted reaction of companies in the sector who “have been here before”. “History suggests food shoppers only change eating habits in short-term, hence muted reaction from food firms at processed meat and cancer links,” the story begins.
Nestlé has resumed production of Maggi noodles in India, more than four months after the country’s government forced the Swiss food group to suspend production as a result of a major food safety scare (The Financial Times). The suspension has dented the group’s sales in recent months.
Asda owner Walmart is seeking permission from regulators in the US to test delivery drones as it seeks to fight back against Amazon (The Telegraph).
The Telegraph features a story about a “social supermarket” which sells stock rejected by supermarkets for as little as 25p. Charlotte Danks is planning to open a further two stores in the next six months after launching the Bargain Brand Food Outlet in Newquay earlier this year.
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