All articles by Ronan Hegarty – Page 104
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News
Wholesalers to distribute product info
The three biggest newspaper and magazine wholesalers have joined forces to launch a service designed to make it easier for food and drink suppliers to tell independent retailers about new products. Menzies Distribution, Smiths News and...
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McColl and Smiths form alliance to boost news
C-store and CTN chain Martin McColl has joined forces with Smiths News to form an innovative category alliance designed to boost sales of news and magazines. From next month Martin McColl will use Smiths staff and services to support the...
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the spar pavilions
People say that retailing is a pretty straightforward business," says Spar UK MD Jerry Marwood. "But the truth is, this is not a simple business anymore." He should know. In his five years with Spar, Marwood has emerged as an important...
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We're the only winner says Mars
Mars UK was the only one of the UK's three major chocolate manufacturers to have increased its market share in the first six months of this year, data shows. IRI figures show its share of the £1.4bn-a-year chocolate market rose 1.4...
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Irish close to biodegradable gum solution
Food scientists in the Irish Republic believe they are close to finding the answer to a sticky problem - with the development of a biodegradable chewing gum that can be either swallowed safely or, if dropped on the street, be washed away by...
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Symbol groups - the pressure to consolidate
With a new investor in place, Costcutter is steadily recruiting new retailers and eyeing some of the smaller competition. The understanding that Costcutter is looking to acquire East Anglian rival Redorange lends weight to the theory that as the...
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Profile Costcutter - Bibby's in for the long haul
Costcutter's future within buying group Nisa-Today's appears to have been secured by the deal with Bibby Line. Bibby Distribution has provided Nisa-Today's logistics for the past 22 years and so has a longstanding relationship with the buying group....
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Reader survey - 8th September 2007
The majority (67%) of Top 50 independent retailers who replied to our latest poll claimed to have been able to have taken more than two weeks off work as holiday so far this year. However, although retailers may be taking holiday, they are failing...
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Select & Save hits out at rival's use of s-word
Select & Save is considering taking legal action over similarities between its own c-store offering and a new concept developed by off-licence chain Bargain Booze. Bargain Booze unveiled its first venture into convenience retailing, Bargain...
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HP Sauce hit by supply 'disaster'
A leading wholesaler has accused Heinz UK of favouring big supermarket chains by cutting off supplies of HP Sauce to independents to ensure stores owned by the multiples don’t run out. Parfetts Cash & Carry said it had not had proper access to…
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Payzone calls on PayPoint to ditch exclusivity demand
Payment network provider Payzone has called on its rival PayPoint to abandon its tactic of demanding exclusivity agreements from independent retailers. Payzone deputy MD Paul Charmatz said it no longer asked retailers for exclusivity and it was...
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Falside Road twice pulled up for breaches in food hygiene
The investigation into the E.coli outbreak in Scotland is now focused on a single Morrisons store in Renfrewshire. The Outbreak Control Team initially investigated two Morrisons in Paisley as the potential source of the E.coli scare that has claimed...
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Inquiry 'blind to vouchers threat'
Small shops leaders have accused the Competition Commission's grocery inquiry team of underestimating the impact of supermarket voucher promotions on independents. The Association of Convenience Stores claims the vouchers, offering deep discounts on...
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Two bidders circling NI wholesaler J&J Haslett
Northern Ireland wholesaler and symbol operator J&J Haslett could be on the verge of selling up after receiving two approaches from companies looking to buy the business. The group, which operates the Mace symbol in the province, is...
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Nisa-Today's combines to boost buying power
Nisa-Today's will seek to gain better terms from suppliers by combining the buying power of its wholesale and retail arms. The move is part of its new business strategy in the wake of last year's collapsed merger with Costcutter....
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Independents week to focus on street parties
Street parties hosted by independent retailers are central to plans for this summer's National Independents' Week. All retailers will be urged to stage parties, while NIW organisers will try to win maximum publicity by generating coverage...
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Turton: Nisa-Costcutter deal will not be revived
Nisa-Today's chief executive Neil Turton has categorically ruled out reviving the controversial merger with Costcutter, which collapsed last October. Speaking to The Grocer at Nisa's annual show for independents and wholesalers, Turton...
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True fighters in the toughest of times
A bumper Christmas trading period for most independents and the continued spectre of competition from the multiples were the subjects dominating The Grocer's annual Top 50 and Big 30 luncheon, held this month at London's Dorchester...
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Big 30 keeping on
Wholesalers are fighting harder than ever for business - but at least there is still business out there worth fighting for. This is the message coming out loud and clear from this year's The Big 30 poll of the UK's biggest wholesalers. While...
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Festive sales brighten independents' mood
It wasn't just the multiples that enjoyed the Christmas spirit - the festive period was just as much a winner for independents. Nisa-Today's put to rest the ghost of Christmas 2005 - when it suffered serious distribution problems at its...