Media Bites 9 January: results 'super' Thursday, food prices, ‘fake’ Aldi store

It’s a busy day on the retail news front with Tesco, M&S and Greggs set to publish Christmas and quarterly sales on a busy ‘super Thursday’ for results. The Grocer will be there with the latest on all of them as they come in.

Given the heavy focus on finance it’s otherwise quiet news-wise, however the British Retail Consortium’s latest warning that food prices won’t be “going anywhere but up” as a result of Labour’s budget drew heavy coverage, from the BBC. Food prices will climb 4.2% on average during the latter half of the year according to BRC modelling, after increases in employer’s national insurance contributions, rises in the national living wage and new packaging levies from April, said The Guardian. It will pile “more pressure on households at a time when consumers are already facing leaps in unavoidable costs including water, council tax and energy bills”, warned Sky News.

Given the gloomy predictions it’s not surprising Brits might feel the need for a stiff drink. Stout could be a popular choice, suggested the Telegraph, which highlights that stout sales soared across the mults in December, thanks in part to a high profile Guinness Shortage.

Elsewhere, the BBC had an amusing yet serious story about how a fake Aldi store has caused “havoc” in the Welsh village of Cyffylliog. A suspected prankster has replaced the name of a local farm with an Aldi store on Google Maps. It’s led dozens of cars and a milk lorry becoming stuck on the village’s narrow roads, causing significant problems for the residents.

Meanwhile, The Guardian brought a new lens to the ongoing retail crime crisis, with a long read focusing on how the Jellycat soft toys are the latest target of stealing to sell criminal gangs. The popular Amusables range recreate stuffed everyday objects, including Avocados and Toilet rolls, can cost as much as £44 each. Their small size makes them relatively easy to steal, promoting retailers to introduce a number of new security measures.

Ending on a positive note, the FT’s Lex column highlighted how the UK’s “boomer” retail chains like Next and M&S are making a comeback despite turbulent waters ahead. “Next’s fourth-quarter trading update on Tuesday offered hope that some larger retailers — particularly those that have been investing in ecommerce — will prove resilient.”