How Mark White’s legal background will influence his work with GSCOP
We’ve had a period of good behaviour as record returns in Covid have put smiles on the faces of the major retailers. So GSCOP may not be top of mind – but, as retailers start to chase growth on top of their phoney year whilst leaking sales to hospitality, the fun will recommence. Get ready […]
Why Morrisons, Iceland and Lidl led the way in a Christmas like no other
Nothing normal about this Christmas, was there? Given the impact of Covid and Brexit, it’s not easy to read the true performance indicators for 2021, but here goes. Starting with the punchline: Morrisons and Iceland shared the prize with sustained campaigns consistently delivering across the four-week and 12-week Kantar share performances. They stood out in […]
Aldi comes out the winner in Tesco’s Price Match, but it must catch up in online
They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Take Tesco’s Aldi Price Match. While Tesco appears to be taking aim at the discounter, it’s actually doing Aldi a big favour. Big four shoppers keep hearing ‘Aldi price’ and those who don’t have a nearby Tesco will head to Aldi to take a look. It’s […]
Businesses can’t passively accept a ‘new normal’ – they must define it
The most overused, inappropriate and meaningless term of the moment has to be ‘the new normal’. Not just because it assumes that a normal state of play currently exists, but, dangerously, because it assumes a passive acceptance of the situation businesses have to ‘fit in with’. ‘Normal’ suggests some level of equilibrium. There isn’t one: […]
EDLP is the right strategy, but retailers and suppliers are stuck on big promotions
Covid-19 crisis pricing is an interesting one. Particularly savvy shoppers have noticed their normal basket jump as much as 25% – not because prices have gone up, but due to the lack of their beloved promotions. It’s logical that during crisis shopping, price promotions need to be dropped to ease the burden of surges on […]
Coronavirus will complicate next year’s trade negotiations with retailers. Start planning now
Annual business plans are always the area which bring out the worst in wholesale and retail customers. When they have not achieved volume or revenue thresholds, they want the bonus anyway and often scupper next year’s discussions to get it. It’s the assault that keeps on mugging. This year, the virus has brought a whole […]
We need a co-ordinated approach to food supply, with support for small suppliers
Supermarket buyers pressurise suppliers to give their increased orders priority. How is that different from the much-maligned shopper panic buying in-store? If they succeed, the smaller retailers not receiving stock become the equivalent of the elderly lady or NHS nurse who is losing out in-store now. Panic buying exists. It’s human nature, as was mapped […]
Don’t ‘take care of number one’ in Brexit planning. Industry must pull together
It’s March 2020 already, so way too late for new year’s resolutions, but here’s a prediction instead. For the balance of the year trade bodies, industry leaders, banks, international business, journalists and major retailers will moan and gripe about EU trade deal uncertainty. Adjust your filters, ignore the noise, it will change nothing. Many retailers […]
It’s retailer crunch time – who are this year’s Christmas crackers?
It is true that a decent Easter and strong summer can provide some ballast for the annual numbers, but the Christmas season is the ‘make or break’ period for a grocer’s year. Ultimately, it sets the heartbeat for the January trading statements, which are the most important of the year and no retailer can afford […]
Grocery’s ‘dream shoppers’ are going cheap after Mothercare’s collapse
The toughest market conditions on record mean supermarkets are having to diversify and differentiate to attract shoppers. Suppliers can help with differentiation if they are minded to offer exclusives on product, promotion or even merchandising. But diversification is a problem for the retailers themselves, who are all wondering what to do with all that space. […]
