Discounters – it's time fmcg suppliers got real. But they need help from retailers
OK, so are we are all agreed discounter share growth holds risks for UK consumers and suppliers as well as the obvious threat to retailers? Shoppers walk their way blindly into a world of low choice and suspect imports, while suppliers feel the knock-on effect of the price wars with a doubling of those in […]
David Sables Question To Alex Simpson – Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum Keynote Seminar
Our CEO David Sables attended the Westminter Food & Nutrition Forum Keynote Seminar and had the opportunity to speak with Alex Simpson. Transcript Lord Cameron of Dillington Yes, any questions from the floor. David Sables: Sentinel Management Consultants. We help suppliers to be some of the few who manage to cope under the pressure from […]
Adjudicator Christine Tacon issues second survey to nail 'notorious' buyers
Adjudicator Christine Tacon is to call on thousands of suppliers to help her root out “notorious” buyers who have been systematically breaching the Groceries Code. On Monday, Tacon will start contacting an estimated 8,000 suppliers asking them to take part in a YouGov survey on their relationship with retailers and urging them to point the […]
It's back to the all-powerful buyer. For better or for worse?
Analysts saying the supers must ‘drop their prices’ to compete is mildly irritating. Dalton Philips proved that retailers funding price cuts with the same operation reduces profit and compounds the problem. Too much stock tied up in extended ranges means that to compete with discounters this way they’d halve their ROI – shareholders will have […]
Tesco calls in consultants to oversee drastic range review
Decisions over the future of thousands of lines at Tesco are being left in the hands of management consultants, suppliers warned this week. The Grocer can reveal the UK’s biggest retailer has tasked Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to conduct a range review across 40 categories, with a view to reducing its SKU count by up […]
Panorama – Trouble at Tesco
Tesco is losing customers, its share price is down and its profits have taken a tumble. As it faces a criminal investigation over its accounting practices, Kamal Ahmed investigates what’s really gone wrong inside Tesco. Watch On iPlayer
Tesco accused of 'blunderbuss' approach in scrapping supplier fees
Tesco’s move to scrap supplier fees and instead focus on getting the lowest prices upfront has been greeted with scepticism by leading consultants who describe is as “old-fashioned” and taking a “blunderbuss approach”. Read More
Premier is following a well-established supermarket playbook
The real surprise about Premier Foods’ demands for payment from suppliers is not that the company is doing it, but that it’s suddenly in the spotlight. Newsnight covered it last night. The Daily Wail shrilled: “Mr Kipling’s exceedingly murky plot to blackmail suppliers.” And Radio 4’s Today programme saw John Humphrys debate the ethics with […]
GSCOP compliance is not under control within our system
The Tesco debacle has really brought supplier treatment to the top of the agenda. Me, I’ve always helped suppliers learn how to deal with it in a savvy yet strategically sound way rather than grumble. If you want to play where the big rewards are then learn how to do it and don’t moan if […]
Podcast – Tesco Trouble at the Top
Tesco is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office over an alleged black hole in its accounts. Simon Cox tells the story of Tesco’s biggest crisis to date. Download Podcast (right click & ‘save target as / link as’)