News and Trends

Supermarket chain Asda has launched the UK's largest self-driving home delivery trial in collaboration with autonomous vehicle tech start-up Wayve around London. The year-long trial, which went live this April, will give the supermarket the ability to autonomously deliver groceries to 72,000 households around London, fulfilling orders from randomly selected customers who have shopped online using the next-day deliver service. During the 12-month trial, both an Asda colleague and supervising Wayve safety driver will be in the vehicle when making deliveries. Asda colleagues will load and unload the groceries at the customer's home, but they will be transported from store to the door in a self-driving vehicle. Simon Gregg, Senior Vice President of eCommerce at Asda, said:  "Asda has long understood the value of bringing tech innovation to the online grocery sector and we are always looking at new and innovative partnerships to improve delivery options for customers. We believ...

 Namnews,  24th April 2023 Amid soaring inflation in Ireland, 53% of shoppers say they are using more vouchers and money off coupons to do their shopping. The data from a new consumer behaviour survey from Talon in Ireland, conducted by research partner Spark Market Research, found that a third of respondents were spending €51 or more on their main weekly grocery shop compared to the same time last year. Spending was highest amongst shoppers between the ages of 45-54 (76%), with those aged between 25-34 spending the least (67%). The findings suggest that people in the older age cohort are the most financially secure, and those in their late 20s and early 30s are feeling the pinch most. The study from Talon also reveals that Irish consumers are embracing discount retailers. 54% say they have already switched from their main grocery providers as the cost-of-living crisis bites. With this in mind, Ireland has become a nation of those who are willing to shop around, with 63% admit...

  Namnews,  25th April 2023 Latest data from Kantar shows average grocery prices rose by 17.3% in the four weeks to 16 April, down marginally on the 17.5% inflation figure recorded in the previous month. However, take-home grocery sales grew by only 8.1% over the period, suggesting a further decline in volumes, with the discounters continuing to outperform the traditional Big Four supermarkets. “The latest drop in grocery price inflation will be welcome news for shoppers, but it’s too early to call the top,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar. “We’ve been here before when the rate fell at the end of 2022, only for it to rise again over the first quarter of this year. We think grocery inflation will come down soon, but that’s because we’ll start to measure it against the high rates seen last year. It’s important to remember, of course, that falling grocery inflation doesn’t mean lower prices, it just means prices aren’t increasing as quickly.” A...

UK economic outlook - Expect food inflation to decline slowly, halving by the end of the year  - Most house holds are expected to be worse-off financially in 2023 and 2024  - No recession is expected, but the economy will remain weak and fragile  - Businesses must now re-focus, moving from crisis management, to planning for recovery and building resilience How are consumers faring? - Fewer consumers are planning to cut back spend across a range of activities  - Saving money is becoming less important, offering opportunities to rebuild brand and retailer loyalty  - Consumers are now less fearful about food prices  - Businesses should provide support for lower income consumers and highlight added value product benefits Developments in government policy - The Windsor Framework safeguards the interests of grocery shoppers in Northern Ireland  - The Target Operating Model reduces the need for checks on imports  - Policies to address labour shortage inc...

 Namnews,  26th April 2023 Latest results from MealTrak, the food-to-go (FTG) and out-of-home (OOH) tracking programme developed in partnership with TWC Group, show the number of out-of-home eating occasions were 1% lower over the year to 20 March 2023. And in the latest 12 weeks, the number of such occasions fell by 10% versus the same period in 2022. Over the 12 weeks, occasions in the ‘eating out’ channel (comprising pubs, restaurants and hotels) declined by 2%. Pubs continued to outperform the other sub-channels (+2%), ahead of restaurants (-6%) and hotels (-2%). Total food-to-go occasions declined by 11%, driven by forecourts (-43%), transportation sites (-40%), sandwich shops and specialists (-24%), high street (-17%), coffee shops and cafés (-13%), workplace (-13%), fast food & takeaway (-12%) and independent convenience stores (-2%). The discounters (+23%) and the multiples (+3%), with their more affordable food-to-go offer, remained the clear winners. Overall valu...

  Namnews,  26th April 2023 Asda has extended its partnership with Falmouth-based bakers Rowe’s, with seven brand new concessions launching in the supermarket’s stores across the southwest. Known for its Cornish pasties, Rowe’s first partnered with Asda in 2009 with a concession in the supermarket’s St. Austell store. This was followed by two further counters in Plymouth and Falmouth. The expansion means that Asda stores in Newton Abbott, Hayle Harbour, Weston Supermare, Weymouth, Bodmin, Yeovil and Barnstaple will now offer baked goods such as pasties, sausage rolls and steak slices. The partnership is part of Asda’s strategy to offer a point of difference for local shoppers. Jessica Marsters, Food Partnerships Co-ordinator at Asda, commented: “We’re really excited to be extending our partnership with Rowe’s ahead of the busy tourist season, having worked together for almost 15 years. We know that Rowe’s is a much-loved brand amongst our customers so it’s great to be able to ...

S ource: Pret Pret has rebranded its coffee subscription to include a discount on its food range. Renamed ‘Club Pret’, the loyalty plan has increased in price from £25 a month to £30. Alongside up to five barista-prepared drinks per day, subscribers will now also get 10% off all food and snacks at Pret. Additional drinks will also receive a 10% discount. The service was first launched in September 2020, while pandemic restrictions were still in place, as a way to drive loyalty and sales. It is now live in the majority of Pret’s 439 stores across the UK. According to Pret, the subscription is used 1.25 million times per week (up 11% year-on-year) in the UK and has been rolled out to the US and France. Subscribers recorded an average of 28 transactions per month, compared to just two times per month for non-subscribers. Source: Pret Food and drink offerings at a Pret shop in St Martin’s Lane, London Pret said ongoing investments in loyalty,  including the Pret Perks loyalty scheme , ...

A brioche loaf flavoured with matcha, white chocolate and fruit has been crowned Britain’s Best Loaf 2023. Made by Kuma-San Bakehouse from Matlock in Derbyshire, the Brioche Japonais fought off stiff competition from more than 150 loaves across seven categories – Flavoured Sourdough, Gluten Free, Innovation, International, Plain Sourdough, White, and Wholegrain. The loaf, which took the top spot in the Innovation category, was praised by the judges for its outstanding use of ingredients, wonderful texture, and decadent white chocolate inclusions, which the judges said remained almost gooey to deliver a wonderful eating experience. A selection of the Britain’s Best Loaf category winners, and ultimate champion (centre) It was crowned at the Britain’s Best Loaf competition, which took place at the UK Food & Drink Shows on Tuesday 25 April. The competition was sponsored by ADM Milling, Bako, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment, and Lesaffre UK. The judging panel consisted of: Amy North, ...

New iterations of caramel, caffeinated cocktails, bold blood orange, and seasonal strawberry are among the flavours experts believe will make their mark on bakery this year. There are a host of reasons behind the growing popularity of these flavours, including consumer desire for increasingly indulgent treats, concerns around sustainability, and the influence of social media. Here, we explore which flavours will come out on top and the driving forces behind this:   Source: British Bakels Comfort in the familiar Taste is king in bakery and with consumers watching their spending right now, they want to know the treat they’re splashing out on will deliver. As such, shoppers are turning to twists on tried and tested flavours rather than riskier radical new ones. “The classics continue to be embraced by consumers. The comfort of flavours like sticky toffee, chocolate, carrot cake and lemon have been a sweet staple for a reason,” says Kirsty Matthews, insights and marketing manager at Ma...

The UK foodservice wholesaler has launched a new range of artisan sourdough breads under its La Boulangerie brand.  The company worked closely with specialist bakery Nicholas & Harris to create the range, which uses a sourdough starter culture that was created in 2012 and subsequently fed daily. The result is a range of subtle flavours and fermented characteristics that are required to produce high quality artisan breads. The breads are made using traditional methods, with the majority of each loaf being hand produced, including folding, moulding and bulking. No commercial yeast is used and the bread has a long fermentation, with the loaves rising naturally, giving the typical sour flavour and open-textured crumb.  Each loaf is bulked in a bespoke ‘Brakes’ room before being baked. Leading the range of products is a pre-sliced Sourdough half boule, which uses only three ingredients, flour, water and salt, and is hand-mixed to provide a unique, but commercially sustainable p...

rpbi-openings.co.uk,  20 April 2023 Manchester Arndale is delighted to announce that multinational doughnut company and coffee chain Krispy Kreme has opened a new 3,700 sq ft shop at the centre.  The new shop, which has been let on a 15-year lease, will feature a click and collect service and will be open seven days a week stocking all of the Krispy Kreme favourites, including the best-selling Original Glazed and a special exclusive limited–edition Manchester Bee Doughnut. The new store at Manchester Arndale continues Krispy Kreme’s UK expansion which now consists of over 1,200 stores and outlets. Colin Flinn, spokesperson for Manchester Arndale, said: “We are delighted that Krispy Kreme has opened its new shop at Manchester Arndale. Experiential retail is becoming increasingly important for centres like Manchester Arndale as retailers introduce new approaches aimed at encouraging shoppers to visit in-store as opposed to shopping online."

 rpbi-openings.co.uk,  23 April 2023 A WORLDWIDE coffee brand is weeks away from opening its first branch in Essex, the Gazette understands. Black Sheep Coffee is set to open its doors in Colchester city centre. The Gazette revealed last year the brand will be bringing its specialty grade Robusta beans to Lion Walk as part of the firm’s regional expansion plans. Black Sheep Coffee has stores across the UK, France and the Phillipines but this will be its first in Essex. Set in a fresh 1,900 sq ft premises, the shop will serve its iconic coffee menu by day, while at night it will transform into a late cocktail bar serving espresso martinis, beers, wine and champagne. The new space, which will feature a total of 86 covers, will also include an alfresco seating area. Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, co-founders of Black Sheep Coffee, added: “We can’t wait to open in Colchester. This will be the first Black Sheep Coffee to open in Essex and we are super excited.”

 Namnews,  6th April 2023 Costco’s sales growth weakened again in March as consumers made cutbacks amid persistently high inflation. Having recorded double-digit increases during most of the pandemic, the warehouse club operator’s total monthly comparable sales rose only 2.6% after excluding the impacts of changes in petrol prices and foreign exchange. Comparable sales in its 585 US outlets edged up 0.9% – the smallest advance since April 2020 – shortly after the lockdowns at the start of the Covid crisis. There was better performance in Costco’s international markets, with its 107 stores in Canada seeing a 7.4% rise. Meanwhile, its 157 warehouses across Europe and Asia (including 29 in the UK) saw sales increase by 7.6%. However, the group’s e-commerce unit recorded an 11.6% decline as consumers reined in their spending and returned to shopping in physical stores. Analysts noted that the tepid performance underscored the risk that Costco’s long sales boom is finally petering ...