News and Trends

 Namnews,  5th August 2022 The Co-op has warned suppliers that it will be delisting some products as part of moves to “simplify” its range amid the cost-of-living crisis. In a recent letter sent to suppliers seen by trade magazine The Grocer, the society highlights how shopping habits and choices changed throughout the pandemic and are continuing to do so. The letter adds: “One of our key aims is to deliver a simplified, focused range across all of our stores, and as part of this we’re looking at reducing our product range to meet these requirements.” The Co-op states that it wants to “drive more accurate replenishment and reduce waste while continuing to deliver key needs in a convenient way to our customers, something which we are already working on with the support of many of our suppliers. “In order to meet our targets, we are reviewing where efficiencies can be made across many of our categories, ultimately meaning that some products will be delisted as we focus on the ke...

  Namnews,  10th August 2022 Consumer confidence in the UK surprisingly improved in July after seven straight months of decline. This is according to the latest consumer confidence index by YouGov and consultancy Cebr, which rose 2 points last month, possibly reflecting the introduction of support payments for low-income households. The survey comes just days after the Bank of England (BoE) said the UK would enter a recession by the end of 2022 and gave a grimmer outlook for inflation, projecting consumer prices would rise more than 13% in October. The YouGov/Cebr survey was carried out before the Bank’s forecasts were announced. YouGov and Cebr said the first instalment of one-off government payments to millions of low-income households struggling with soaring costs of living helped with an uptick in household finance measures. Business activity also saw improvements, with employees slightly more likely to report that their workplaces are busier than they were last month and ...

Social media platform TikTok has started selling food in the UK via retail partners on the platform this month with Pasta Evangelists, The Veg Box Company and The Fish Society being the first early adopters. Each brand started to sell food to TikTok users on their respective Shop pages in app from 1st August, a move that comes after a huge amount of food and drink content being shared and trends developing on TikTok over the past few years - content that has generated over 26 billion views at that. Brands selling on their Shop pages can also work with content creators to offer other users exclusive discounts before then handling the delivery of the orders themselves. "TikTok has made it easier than ever for food brands and creators to be discovered, and we have an active community of food lovers on the platform," explained Patrick Nommensen, TikTok E-Commerce Operations Senior Director. "Enabling fresh food brands and creators to sell directly to our community through a ...

Afternoon tea is a British institution – there’s even an entire week dedicated to it every year. The aptly named Afternoon Tea Week runs from 8-14 August in 2022 as cafés, bakeries, five-star hotels and even online businesses serve up decadent treats for the occasion. The latter is a relatively new addition to the list of businesses that take part, as afternoon tea by post exploded during the pandemic and, according to some, will keep growing for years to come. “It still has a future,” believes Anna Rugen, development baker at Patisserie Valerie. “People want convenience and an alternative experience. The ability to send loved ones a treat like afternoon tea in the post – ours is available for nationwide delivery – or taking it on a picnic or hosting a party with minimal input is always going to have a place.” Some, however, are stalwarts for a more traditional setting. As Andrew Gravett, executive pastry chef at The Langham Hotel in London, explains: “Afternoon tea is an experience th...

 Namnews  9th August 2022 St Pierre has secured new distribution for its morning goods products with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. The bakery brand will launch its latest new product, the Brioche Bagel, into Tesco stores from 5 September. The first-to-market product was launched by St Pierre in the US at the end of 2021 after growth in both the bagel and brioche markets prompted the innovation. St Pierre claims the product will reinvigorate the bagel sector in the UK, offering a lighter texture bagel to appeal to a broader audience and introduce new shoppers to the bagel format. Sainsbury’s is also capitalising on the growth in morning goods by launching St Pierre Brioche Swirls and Chocolate Chip Brioche Swirls into stores from September. Available in packs of six, the new listings mean that the retailer has launched five St Pierre SKUs this year alone. Meanwhile, Asda will also expand its morning goods selection, adding St Pierre’s multipack of Pains au Chocolat and Croissant...

Namnews, 9th August 2022 While pricing sensitivity is rising amongst shoppers as the cost-of-living and inflationary pressures hit household budgets, the new ‘K-shaped’ UK shopper is willing to pay more for products with better quality product data. Shopper research for Akeneo’s latest report – Product Experience Satisfaction Around the World – showed that 61% would pay up to 10% more for items with good quality and accurate product information, while 10% even say they would spend 50% on products if the information supporting their buying decision was enhanced. “We used to talk about price elasticity of demand, but now the quality, accuracy and consistency of product information is having an increasing role in how changeable demand for a product is at a particular price point,” said James Barlow, regional director UK&I at Akeneo, a company that develops product information management and product data intelligence software. “And, during a time of economic turbulence and when each pu...

Namnews, 9th August 2022 Latest figures from the BRC and KPMG show total retail sales in the UK increased 2.3% in July, against a rise of 6.4% the year before. Trading was boosted sales of hot weather essentials, although growth was largely driven by inflation and masked a drop in volumes. On a like-for-like basis, sales grew 1.6% from July 2021, when they had risen 4.7%. Over the three months to July, food sales were up 2.3% on a total basis and 1.8% like-for-like, which was above the 12-month total average growth of 0.6%. Meanwhile, non-food sales fell by 2.0% on a total basis and 2.5% like-for-like, which was down on the average growth of 4.5% over the past year. In-store sales of non-food items increased 2% on a total basis and 1.2% like-for-like, while online non-food was down 3.9% in July. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, noted that the heatwave last month had boosted sales of items such as summer clothing, picnic treats, and electric fans. However, with inflation at ...