News and Trends

Allan Leighton, said: “Jo has decided that this is the right time to move on and pursue her next challenge. " Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield is departing the business after 6 years Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield is to exit the retailer after five years as the boss of its wholesale business Nisa also stands down. Former commercial director Matt Hood replace Whitfield, who the retailer said had decided to “move on and pursue her next challenge”. Hood will take on responsibility for both the commercial and operational areas of the business. Nisa  CEO Michael Fletcher will be replaced by managing director of Co-op’s regional stores in the south Peter Batt. Co-op chair Allan Leighton said: “Jo has decided that this is the right time to move on and pursue her next challenge. “During her time with us, Jo has led a re-invention of our Food business. She always put colleagues first and championed colleague safety. She leaves the Co-op with our warmest wishes and deepest t...

Namnews,  20th September 2022 Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 1.8% in the 12 weeks to 4 September, due mostly to a 7.8% increase in average prices, as grocery price inflation hit 11%. The data from Kantar showed that in the four weeks to 4 September, the price of back-to-school essentials (bread, ham, cheese, yoghurt, cereal and milk) rose by 19.5%, making a basket of these staples €2 more expensive. The most basic items saw some of the biggest jumps, with bread up 20%, ham up 12%, milk up 26%, and yoghurt up 17%. Collectively, shoppers in Ireland spent an additional €17m on these products compared to the same period last year, driven entirely by price as volumes were down 6%. Emer Healy, a senior analyst at Kantar, commented: “Grocery price inflation is at its highest level since Kantar began tracking grocery price inflation in May 2008. As food and drink prices continue to climb alongside increasing pressure on other household bills, the impact is unavoidable for ...

Source: Financial Times, 22nd September 2022 Discounter and rival Lidl are to Tesco and co what Ryanair and easyJet were to British Airways.  It was supposed to be different this time, with Britain’s Big Four supermarkets — Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Morrisons — having learnt the lessons of the financial crisis. Then, they preserved margins at the expense of market share. This downturn, it’s meant to be all about keen pricing, not profits. Except last week,  Aldi overtook Morrisons  in market share, according to data from Kantar. On another industry measure, the German discounter pipped the Yorkshire-headquartered supermarket to fourth spot more than three years ago. So much for the Big Four. The thing is, this time  might  be different. Lessons may, really, have been learnt. It’s just not clear anything can stop the Aldi ascendancy. The company’s success isn’t obviously down to the incumbents’ errors. It seems almost inevitable that they shed some market share....

© Hilton Food Group Hilton Food Group  recently reported that its  vegan and vegetarian category  grew 40% in the first half of 2022. Over a three-year period, Hilton’s total revenue rose 20.4% to £2,038.7M. Hilton Foods is a company that processes, packs, and distributes meat and  other protein products  to UK and supermarkets, including  Tesco .   According to the company, the rise in plant-based sales has been fuelled by flexitarian and vegetarian trends demanding alternative protein options. But with the continued disruption in global supply chains and rising inflation, Hilton says it has concerns for future profits. “In the first half of the year, Hilton has further strengthened its position as the international protein partner of choice. We have continued to focus on our strategy of diversification and differentiation, driving a further increase in volumes, sales, and operating profit,” said Hilton Foods Chief Executive Philip Heffer. “...

  STR, 13 September 2022 In recent months, hotels across much of the globe have achieved near-normal levels of occupancy and far higher rates compared with pre-pandemic times. While the number of heads in beds has not reached the stellar levels of 2019 for many hotels, buoyant growth in room rates has often made up for a shortfall in demand. Indeed, lower occupancy and higher rates is now a preferred operating model for many hotels. However, with a potential cost-of-living crisis looming, consumers are displaying increased cost sensitivities and scrutiny. That of course raises questions around the sustainability of current rates. This article, based on STR’s July 2022 research, outlines key consumer attitudes and behaviors that can be beneficial for revenue managers to understand as they develop their strategy for the year ahead. Location, location, location… and price Time and time again, our consumer research reveals location is the most important factor when choosing an accommod...

STR, 15 September 2022 Aligned with seasonal patterns,  London’s hotel performance came in lower than the peak seen during the previous month,  according to preliminary August 2022 data from  STR .    - Occupancy: 77.1% - Average daily rate (ADR): GBP179.49 - Revenue per available room (RevPAR): GBP138.37 Despite the decrease from July, both the ADR and RevPAR levels remained well above pre-pandemic comparables at +19.4% and +6.9%, respectively. Occupancy was 10.5% below August 2019, which was a steeper decline than the month prior. When looking at daily data, Saturdays showed the highest occupancy, including a level of 87.2% on 13 August.  

 Namnews,  16th September 2022 After the release of half-year figures yesterday showing Waitrose had suffered a significant fall in first-half sales, the supermarket’s executive director revealed that a new brand positioning would be launched in a few weeks that will be more “confident and bold”. The upmarket chain’s like-for-like sales slid 5% to £3.6bn over the six months to 30 July, partly due to tough comparatives with raised demand during the pandemic. However, basket sizes were smaller by nearly 20% as cash-strapped shoppers made cutbacks and shifted some of their spend to more value-oriented retailers. James Bailey admitted the supermarket’s brand positioning was “long overdue” a refresh, although he noted that it would not be a dramatic change. He said it would move the business to be “more confident and bold about what we do offer our customers and a bit more challenging and provocative in the market”. Meanwhile, Bailey highlighted that the way consumers are spending ...