The Co-op news and analysis – Page 76
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News
Somerfield reports sales growth of 3.7% for Christmas period
Somerfield has emerged as a surprise Christmas winner, posting like-for-like sales growth of 3.7% in the three weeks to 3 January. The figure, which is well ahead of Tesco's 2.5% growth, comes despite a smaller marketing budget than its...
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Co-op secures sale of 90 Somerfield stores
Waitrose and Tesco are among a host of retailers that have snapped up stores from the Co-operative Group following its £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield.
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Co-op switches pork to Hampshire breed
The Co-operative has switched supply of its Truly Irresistible pork range to meat from Hampshire-breed pigs raised on higher-welfare farms.All fresh pork, bacon and sausages in the retailer's premium own-brand range is now sourced from...
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Co-op talks to OFT over Lothian deal
The OFT launched a consultation this week into whether The Co-operative Group's merger with Lothian Borders & Angus Co-op would reduce competition - in a move that could force the society to sell off yet more stores. The OFT said it would...
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Somerfield reports turnaround
Somerfield has unveiled a massive turnaround in sales and debt as it prepares to be swallowed by the Co-operative Group.
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Tchibo cancels supermarket concessions
Coffee-to-clothing retailer Tchibo is to scrap its concessions in Sainsbury's and Somerfield. The German chain has around 100 concessions in the supermarkets, but said it would end its association with Sainsbury's and Somerfield by the end of 2009...
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Morrisons gets 38 Co-op Group stores
Morrisons has become the first retailer to take on stores from The Co-operative Group following its purchase of Somerfield.Morrisons has snapped up 38 stores for £223m, it revealed this week, as it announced an 8.1% rise in like-for-like...
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Marks: sell-off averted referral to commission
The OFT's decision not to refer The Co-operative Group's £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield to the Competition Commission rested on a knife edge, Co-op CEO Peter Marks has revealed.Speaking at the society's half-yearly membership meeting in...
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Co-op ordered to sell another seven stores
The Co-operative Group must sell seven more stores, on top of the 126 already earmarked for sale, to complete its £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield.The OFT cleared the deal to create the UK's fifth-largest supermarket in October but ruled...
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Unicorn enjoys fresh success
The Unicorn Grocery co-operative is as far removed from a standard co-op grocery store as you can get. Julia Taylor finds out more about the store that says no to Nestlé
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English apples boosted by supermarket support
Sainsbury's, Morrisons and the Co-op have all been praised for their support of English apples at the start of the 2008/09 season.The three retailers had all invested heavily in TV campaigns urging shoppers to buy English apples, according...
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Sites affected by Somerfield deal identified
Details have emerged of the location of some of the 126 stores The Co-operative Group has to sell in order to complete its £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield.Seventeen are in Scotland, including one in Wick, which has a Co-op store and a...
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Advertising: Home-grown values from The Co-op
We've read a lot about the competition between Lidl and Aldi but as far as advertising is concerned, it's a three-way fight in the smaller retailer sector. The Co-operative Group's investment in advertising this year isn't far behind that of its...
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Indie co-ops’ concern over Somerfield sell-off ruling
Independent co-op societies fear they could face direct competition from the multiples after the OFT ruled The Co-operative Group must sell 126 stores as part of its £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield. Smaller societies say they could find themselves...
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John Barn named new ANR chairman
John Barn has been named the Association of News Retailing’s new chairman. Barn, who replaces Russ Simper, is news agency manager at The Co-operative Group, responsible for managing all news and magazines across the Co-operative movement. He has...
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OFT greenlights Co-op’s Somerfield deal but 126 stores must be sold
The Co-operative Group's £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield has been rubber-stamped by the Office of Fair Trading.
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Shoppers’ shift to local benefits co-op societies
Midcounties Co-operative Society and Plymouth & South West Co-operative Society are celebrating stellar half-year results thanks to strong food sales. Midcounties Co-op said food sales in the 26 weeks to 26 July rose 10.7% to £237.7m. Overall sales...
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Co-op bakery offer taken in-house
The Co-operative Group has taken its in-store bakery offer in-house. It has launched a 57-strong range of products including bread, rolls, pastries and cakes across its 1,483 in-store bakeries, as well as a further 433 Co-op stores run by smaller...
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Indies call for Co-op’s expulsion from ACS
There were calls this week for the Co-operative Group’s membership of the Association of Convenience Stores to be revoked following its £1.57bn acquisition of Somerfield in July. Some independents claimed the society’s size post-merger as the UK’s...
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‘Last chance to create a fifth player,’ says Co-op's Hurrell
How is Tim Hurrell, head of The Co-operative Group’s food business, going to propel it into the premiership of grocery retailing, asks Beth Phillips