News and Trends

French frozen-food brand Picard will sell five bakery and pastry products in more than 150 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK from 26 October 2026. The listing puts the brand into the frozen aisles of a major supermarket group, and follows a separate online launch of 20 products on the Rohlik platform in central Europe. Picard announced the two partnerships within days of each other. It says it is present in 19 countries and grows outside its home market by working with established local retailers, with a selected range adapted to each market. Retail Times reported the Sainsbury’s listing on 14 October 2026 , and because the start date is 26 October, the products are not yet on shelf at the time of writing. The announcement gives no sales target and no investment figure for the UK. What goes on the shelves on 26 October The range has five lines: All-Butter Croissants , Mini Croissants , Mini Pains au Chocolat , Rustic Baguettes and Pastéis de Nata . According to the announcement, the b...

Source: https://www.foodfuturesinsights.com/post/convenience-format-innovation-to-learn-from Whether it be through delivering safaris or conducting purer research visits, we travel extensively to understand format and proposition innovation across food-to-go and retail. Here we share our pick of the five new - or new look - convenience stores that, in our view, take either their own markets or global convenience forward the most. 1.        7-Eleven ANZAC station, Melbourne, Australia   7-Eleven Australia has been on a roll recently, investing in enhancing the existing estate, adding new sites and significantly developing the overall food offer. We spent time with the team at the start of the year, and learned how the proposition is evolving across its 750 strong store estate. This store, located within a new public transport hub, brings together much of the latest thinking and focus. Here's what we saw: An attractive, open design, focused a...

Source: JJ Foodservice Linkedin post post Unitas Wholesale conference in Istanbul Great morning at the Unitas Wholesale conference in Istanbul, where our COO Kaan Hendekli joined a panel on the future of foodservice 🔮 Five takeaways from what he shared: ✔️ By 2030, just being in the game will mean you've done something right. But the wholesalers who really win will be the ones solving problems for customers , not just selling to them. ✔️ Everyday value beats short-term deals. That's why we ditched price promotions for Mix More Save More – the price comes down as the basket grows. ✔️ JJ Price Compare AI is changing how we talk to suppliers. Customers can photograph a competitor's invoice and see instantly where we're cheaper, where we're not, and where we don't stock a product at all. ✔️ The Foodservice / Retail / On-trade blur is an opportunity, not a threat . Independent retailers are strong in ambient but struggle with frozen and chilled – exactly where ...

JJ Foodservice has launched an AI tool that shows customers where they could save on their next order. JJ Price Compare AI works when customers upload, drag and drop, or photograph a recent supplier invoice with the tool designed to remove the time and guesswork involved in comparing supplier prices manually. The AI tool is then said to return an instant, item-by-item breakdown showing exactly where they could be saving money, with each product marked using a traffic light system: Green: JJ is lower in price; Amber: JJ does not currently stock the item; Red: the customer’s existing supplier is cheaper. Baris Kacar, chief sales officer at JJ Foodservice, said: “We wanted to make it easier for people to know they’re getting great prices without spending hours comparing invoices. JJ Price Compare AI turns that process into something that takes seconds – offering a clear, honest view about where you can save.” Shoppers can then add all products, or only the items they choose, directly to ...

  Tesco controls 27.8% of the British grocery market. Or 26.3%, depending on which research company you ask. Both figures were published on 13 October 2026. Worldpanel by Numerator puts Lidl ahead of Morrisons. NielsenIQ has Morrisons ahead of Lidl. Both agencies agree, however, that Lidl is gaining market share while Aldi and Asda are losing ground. There is another uncomfortable number. UK grocery sales grew just 1.0% in the latest four weeks, while grocery price inflation reached 2.5%. For retailers and FMCG suppliers, the problem is becoming familiar. Sales value can increase without much improvement in actual consumption. And winning market share does not automatically mean making more money. UK Grocery Market Share October 2026: Two Different Rankings The latest Worldpanel by Numerator report covers the 12 weeks ending 4 October 2026. NielsenIQ’s October Total Till report covers the 12 weeks ending 3 October. Both measure grocery retailers in Great Britain, but their method...