Sainsbury’s is ditching its Brand Match promotion later this month as it prepares to cut more prices on everyday products, according to The Guardian. The Guardian writes the supermarket is planning to end the scheme, which it introduced in 2011, because changing shopping habits mean it now applies to less than a fifth of transactions. Instead it is switching investment to cutting prices on basics such as bread, cheese and household cleaning products. (The Guardian)

The new boss of Waitrose has vowed to expand the grocer despite the onslaught of discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. Waitrose former retail director Rob Collins took over the food chain as managing director this week and admits he has a big role to fill, but sees ‘further potential’ for growth at the supermarket. (The Daily Mail)

Nurofen owner Reckitt Benckiser faces fresh calls for a boardroom shake-up after handing its boss Rakesh Kapoor more than £23m in pay and perks. The huge pay rise sparked fresh questions over the Reckitt board and whether the company adheres to the highest standards of corporate governance. (The Daily Mail)

Premier Foods has laid out ambitious growth plans as it seeks to convince investors to hold out for a better offer from US predator McCormick. A 44-page document for investors outlines the company’s belief that it can increase sales by more than 4% a year thanks to a tie-up with the Japanese instant noodle company Nissin. (The Guardian)

The Guardian looks at the task ahead of new M&S boss Steve Rowe, writing that his visit to the chain’s Croydon store, where Rowe used to pack knitwear as a teenager, offers clues to why sales have declined. “Pacing the aisles in the shop where he once packed knitwear, and his grandmother worked in the lingerie department, would have given him a good perspective on M&S’s problems.” (The Guardian)

The Financial Times (£) has an in-depth look at the problems faced by US grocery giant and Asda owner Walmart. The FT says that dollar shops, Aldi and Amazon are eating into sales, so the retailer is slashing prices and innovating. (The Financial Times £)

India’s northern Bihar state on Wednesday imposed prohibition on its 99m people, fulfilling an election promise that had boosted the popularity of Nitish Kumar, chief minister, among women voters in state polls last year. The clampdown comes as international spirits groups, such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Beam Suntory, have been making big investments to gain a foothold in what they see as a potentially vast market. (The Financial Times £)

Consumers have benefited from three years of continuously falling shop prices on non-food goods, according to the latest data from retailers. Excluding food, prices fell 2.6% in March from a year earlier, according to the BRC-Nielsen shop price index. It was a slower rate of annual deflation than February, when non-food prices fell by 3%, but it was the 36th month of consecutive falls. (The Guardian)

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