News and Trends

Namnews, 23rd June 2021 Irish consumer sentiment continued to improve in June as the economy slowly reopened after the latest Covid-19 lockdown. While the monthly reading for the KBC Bank consumer sentiment index of 87.2 is only marginally higher than the May figure of 85.8, the increase was sufficient to push Irish consumer confidence to a two-year high. The June reading also pushes the sentiment index back in line with the 25-year average of 86.8. “It could be argued that sentiment has now normalised,” said Austin Hughes, KBC Ireland’s Chief Economist. He stated that the results suggest that Irish consumers are becoming less concerned about their current circumstances and less fearful about the future. Four of the five main elements of the KBC Bank sentiment survey posted relatively modest gains in June compared to their May readings. “That seems consistent with the view that June marks a further incremental improvement in the mood of Irish consumers rather than any dramatic change i...

  The Grocer, By  Maria Goncalves | 22 June 2021 No comments art M&S revealed the results of its first quarterly Family Matters Index survey A Marks & Spencer survey has shown that families across the UK are on average more worried about health, finances and children’s development than they were before coronavirus hit. The UK-wide survey of 10,000 participants was aimed at identifying how priorities have shifted for families across the country as they emerge from the pandemic. “We’ve launched the new Family Matters Index to obtain and share a deeper understanding of how the UK’s families are feeling and what they’re doing,” said M&S director of communications Victoria McKenzie-Gould. “Whilst we are first and foremost a retailer, we’re not only a retailer and for many we are an employer, partner and a neighbour – and we take that role seriously.” The results of the first quarterly Family Matters Index survey revealed health wa...

ShopperIntelligence, June 2021 Despite both being  bakery  goods,  British   shoppers  buy Wrapped bakery and In-store bakery with very different shopper mindsets  A category split by planned and impulse purchases with different shopper priorities. Wrapped Bakery is more planned shop - needing a focus on fixed low price, being easy to find and easy to shop. In-store bakery is a more impulsive shop - needing a focus on things like premium , authenticity , and an enjoyable shopping experience. The category has strong potential to drive loyalty , particularly in-store bakery, which is more likely than most other categories to be the main reason shoppers come to a particular retailer . Getting things right for the shopper here is critical, as if shoppers can’t find what they are looking for there’s a high chance that shoppers simply won’t buy!

©Mighty Plants Having recently received funding from Dismatrix Group, the venture capital firm run by  Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni  and Miray Zaki;  Mighty Plants , the UK producer of dairy-free avocado ice cream brand  Fravocado , launches what it claims to be the UK’s first and only online frozen plant-based food supermarket. “We want to give you food flexibility – frozen food lasts longer and reduces waste – which is great for your wallet and the planet.” Mighty Plants is an online ‘frozen aisle’ where consumers can shop for multiple sustainable frozen products in the comfort of their home and have them delivered to their door. It offers delicious dairy-free ice cream, allergen-free frozen food,  vegan ready meals , and plant-based meat alternatives from brands that aim to replace meat in our food system. Fravocado © MightyPlants A niche in the market Delivering frozen food requires special packaging, and the service is costly, say the founders Rebecca ...

The latest take-home grocery figures from Kantar show that supermarket sales fell by 1.6% during the 12 weeks to 13 June 2021. While the number of grocery trips remains lower than in pre-COVID-19 times, since last year there has been a 13.1% increase in the number of shopping visits made each month by British households. As visits to stores rise, there has been a corresponding fall in the average spend per trip, down 13.6%, metrics which suggest a return to more typical patterns. While it’s encouraging to see shoppers returning to the habits of old, there is still a way to go before the market entirely returns to normal. That’s demonstrated by the fact that sales in the past 12 weeks were still £3.3 billion higher than in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Retailers will also be benefiting from sales of goods consumed on-the-go, such as picnics and lunches eaten at work, which are not captured in these numbers. Supermarket footfall in the latest four weeks was down by five million trips com...

According to a new report launched by  Bord Bia  today, the Irish foodservice market   will grow by 11% on last year to reach almost €5 billion by year end, with an additional 56% (€2.8 billion) growth predicted for 2022.  Last year, following eight years of consecutive growth, the foodservice market fell by a stark 47% (from €8.5 billion to €4.5 billion) and Bord Bia believes it will be the end of 2022 before the majority of the industry could return to close to the pre-pandemic levels of trade. Previous Bord Bia reporting on the impact of COVID-19  provided preliminary forecasts for the Irish foodservice industry’s recovery in 2021, but the ongoing restrictions have been more longstanding and impactful than originally estimated. In response to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on Ireland’s foodservice industry and the knock-on effect on Irish food and drink producers, today Bord Bia is publishing revised outlooks and a new report charting growth forecasts for the...

Namnews, 21st June 2021 US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is expected to push ahead with its pursuit of Morrisons despite an initial offer being rejected. Reports suggest the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain could also attract bids from other companies, including Amazon. It was revealed on Saturday that Morrisons had last week rebuffed a preliminary takeover bid worth just over £5.5bn from CD&R. After the news broke, the Bradford-based retailer issued a statement saying the 230p a share cash offer “significantly undervalued” its business and future prospects. Morrisons’ share price has fallen over the last year after its profits took a hit from additional costs related to operating during the pandemic, which cancelled out the benefits from booming sales. The group’s share price closed at 178.45p on Friday, valuing it at £4.3bn. Under the UK’s takeover rules, CD&R has until 17 July to make a firm offer or walk away. A report by the Financial Tim...