>>a wider view of obesity is needed...would green be right for M& S?
There were plenty of mixed messages coming out of Whitehall this week over whether the government would act to ban junk food ads aimed at kids.
At least Tony Blair offered the industry some crumbs of comfort when he admitted consumers must take more responsibility for their own waistlines. As the research we published last week showed, that message is already well understood by consumers. Nevertheless, the obesity hysteria shows no sign of abating - not least because it’s being fuelled by Blair’s own ministers. The government is under mounting pressure to take action, and suppliers of fizzy drinks and crisps are easy targets for politicians needing a victory in the war on obesity.
Our message to Blair is simple: there are no quick wins here. If your government is serious about improving the nation’s health, and particularly that of our kids, then you have got to understand that sedentary lifestyles are as much to blame for our obesity problems as poor diet.
But to tackle that huge issue, you must widen the debate. I cannot be the only parent who finds it puzzling that while the food industry is being vilified, nobody has yet pointed any finger of blame at the computer games industry that is turning our kids into geeks who hate sunshine and exercise. And what about the TV broadcasters who beam addictive cartoons into our living rooms 24 hours a day? They are as much to blame for the poor health of our kids as any can of cola.
You could not fail to be impressed by the dream team of Stuart Rose, Charles Wilson and Steven Sharp as they set about revitalising Booker in the late 1990s. But the trio always found frocks more exciting than grocery, so I was not too surprised when they returned to the rag trade.
Nevertheless, their experience at Booker means they do have an appreciation of the tricky competitive issues facing the grocery sector, and that should help them suss out how best to rebuild sales momentum in the M& S food business. And that’s important, because we do need quality operators like M&S to succeed in this market. But whereas Rose & Co will give food the attention it deserves, I fear the consequences should Philip Green win M&S. He famously once said: “It can’t be any more difficult to sell an apple than a skirt.” I hope he doesn’t get the chance to find out the truth.
Dear Tony...
welcome back
There were plenty of mixed messages coming out of Whitehall this week over whether the government would act to ban junk food ads aimed at kids.
At least Tony Blair offered the industry some crumbs of comfort when he admitted consumers must take more responsibility for their own waistlines. As the research we published last week showed, that message is already well understood by consumers. Nevertheless, the obesity hysteria shows no sign of abating - not least because it’s being fuelled by Blair’s own ministers. The government is under mounting pressure to take action, and suppliers of fizzy drinks and crisps are easy targets for politicians needing a victory in the war on obesity.
Our message to Blair is simple: there are no quick wins here. If your government is serious about improving the nation’s health, and particularly that of our kids, then you have got to understand that sedentary lifestyles are as much to blame for our obesity problems as poor diet.
But to tackle that huge issue, you must widen the debate. I cannot be the only parent who finds it puzzling that while the food industry is being vilified, nobody has yet pointed any finger of blame at the computer games industry that is turning our kids into geeks who hate sunshine and exercise. And what about the TV broadcasters who beam addictive cartoons into our living rooms 24 hours a day? They are as much to blame for the poor health of our kids as any can of cola.
You could not fail to be impressed by the dream team of Stuart Rose, Charles Wilson and Steven Sharp as they set about revitalising Booker in the late 1990s. But the trio always found frocks more exciting than grocery, so I was not too surprised when they returned to the rag trade.
Nevertheless, their experience at Booker means they do have an appreciation of the tricky competitive issues facing the grocery sector, and that should help them suss out how best to rebuild sales momentum in the M& S food business. And that’s important, because we do need quality operators like M&S to succeed in this market. But whereas Rose & Co will give food the attention it deserves, I fear the consequences should Philip Green win M&S. He famously once said: “It can’t be any more difficult to sell an apple than a skirt.” I hope he doesn’t get the chance to find out the truth.
Dear Tony...
welcome back
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