All articles by Rachel Barnes – Page 6
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Employers confused by age discrimination law
Changes to the age discrimination laws next month have thrown the structure of the minimum wage and employers' legal standpoint into doubt, claims the British Retail Consortium and other leading experts. The new regulation means that...
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Rivals of no concern, says Waitrose boss
Waitrose managing director Steven Esom last week posted yet another impressive set of results as the supermarket continues to go from strength to strength. Total sales are up 11% to just short of £1.8bn for the half year, thanks to accelerated...
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Traffic lights steal march on GDAs with TV salt ad debut
Traffic light labelling will receive a boost to its profile this weekend with its first television airing, as part of the Food Standards Agency's multi-million-pound salt levels campaign. The agency will sign off its latest ads - which...
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Asda set to challenge JS, Tesco with national online roll-out
Asda is launching an offensive on Sainsbury's and Tesco's online market share with plans to take its service national from next year. Asda.com is currently serviced by 80 stores across the country. However, this will be increased to 100...
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Sainsbury on road to recovery
Sainsbury is to announce year-end results next week that will show boss Justin King's turnaround strategy is motoring - although analysts said the focus would be on how the supermarket could now deliver better margins. The retailer...
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You just mind the shop
Smaller retailers should not get involved in the Competition Commission's inquiry into the grocery industry but concentrate on more immediate issues such as serving customers, OFT chief executive John Fingleton warned this...
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World Cup strike threat
Asda stores face running out of beer, pizzas and snacks during the World Cup if strike action goes ahead across its 20 depots, after talks with unions over working conditions and bonus payments broke down. The GMB union will...
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Waitrose plans rapid refits for new stores
Waitrose has kicked off its most ambitious conversion programme to date, with the five stores it bought from Somerfield in March set for rapid turnarounds. The two London stores in the package were handed over to Waitrose last...
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Morrisons on the move
Morrisons has kicked off the long-awaited move to its new multimillion-pound head office in Bradford, also admitting that it had fallen behind its rivals during its protracted integration of Safeway. However, chief executive Bob...
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Asda gets back to number two
Asda has regained its number two spot in market share from Sainsbury and signed a deal to cement its low price message in the minds of housewives. It lost its number-two title four weeks ago when Sainsbury slipped marginally ahead....
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Suppliers set phone ringing
Two weeks ago Asda's Dave Cheesewright told readers of The Grocer they should call him direct if they had any complaints about their treatment during the multiple's recent tough price negotiations. This week the chain's chief...
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Share in the community
The extensive spread of in-store pharmacies is soon to be followed by supermarket doctors' surgeries, as the big four try to diversify their offer to serve the needs of the local community. Rachel Barnes reports. It has been...
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Concept store to boost online grocery service...
Tesco has come up with a new concept to boost its grocery offer - but it is a store that customers will never be allowed to enter. The first Tesco.com-only store opened in Croydon, south London, in February. Although from the...
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P&G pleads: put back value
The grocery industry must focus on innovation and not price promotions, even as the war between retailers intensifies, says the boss of Procter & Gamble. Speaking at an Institute of Directors' convention in London this week,...
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Rooney's a Must Have (but for one ad only...)
Football star Wayne Rooney has made his debut appearance for Asda, fronting a press campaign for the supermarket's lowest-ever priced clothing range, Must Have, on St George's Day. However, the full-page ad, which dominated the...
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Asda goes bananas
With Sainsbury in the number two spot and suppliers crying foul, the pressure is growing on Asda, reports Rachel Barnes. Last week, Asda president Andy Bond was busy telling people how he planned to rebuild the chain. Newspaper...
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Extra hassle from Slough
Tesco's store development in Slough is courting controversy again. This time the retailer is being accused of trying to "sterilise" the Berkshire town's retail space. Slough Borough Council has criticised Tesco for failing to do...
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Tesco, Sainsbury draw battle lines over labels
Tesco and Sainsbury have drawn battle lines over traffic light labelling with both using high-profile advertising to state their opposing cases. Tesco has been forced to defend its decision to press ahead with guideline daily...
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Adventures in ad-land
Ofcom's brief on advertising to kids will come as a relief to many, say Siân Harrington and Rachel Barnes. It could have been worse. After months of prevarication, Ofcom has launched its consultation on food and drink advertising to...