Industry News
The retailer said that it believed this was thanks in part to a Christmas direct marketing campaign “landing with customers”
Total divisional sales excluding fuel were up 4.7% on last year at Waitrose for the week ending 14 November 2015.
The retailer said that it believed this was thanks in part to a Christmas direct marketing campaign “landing with customers”.
Waitrose’s online channel also delivered, with grocery sales 26.1% higher than last year following a promotion.
Fruit performed well in the period covered, with frozen fruit up by a third, soft fruit up 9%, and pears up 4% respectively.
Sweet potato sales, meanwhile, were up 32% on the same week last year.
A new campaign to relaunch the Specially Selected Pork brand is to be developed.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is to work closely with the Marketing Strategy Group, made up of industry representatives, to put together a unique promotional plan for the brand, which represents the product from QMS’ assurance scheme.
Laurent Vernet, head of marketing with QMS, said: “The QMS marketing team is looking forward to working with the industry to consider the options for relaunching the Specially Selected Pork brand, as levy income to support promotional in 2016/17 become available.”
He also said that despite the fact that QMS has not been able to undertake any major promotional activity behind the brand since late 2012, it is well recognised by consumers.
“Forty-two per cent of Scottish shoppers recognise and trust the Specially Selected Pork brand,” he said. “Specially Selected Pork branded products are available in three Scottish retailers, representing a third of the fresh pork Scottish market retail share.”
He pointed out that QMS’ partnership with the Scottish SPCA, the animal welfare charity, has also played an important role in communicating the message of higher pig welfare and well-being to consumers.
However, he said there were also real challenges in the marketplace, with the volume sales of fresh pork down 8.5% year-on-year in Scotland and average retail prices down by 3.7%.
“There is no doubt that there are some challenges to be tackled, but our Scottish pig industry has many strong messages, such as the priority given to health and welfare, and I believe there are real opportunities to grow the Specially Selected Pork brand in the months and years ahead,” he said.
It’s been a fifth successive quarter of falling revenue at Asda, as CEO laments the “challenge” nature of the UK grocery market
Asda has seen like-for-like sales fall by 4.5% in the three months to the end of September, its fifth quarter of falling revenue.
In the previous quarter, Asda’s sales slumped 4.7%, marking its worst performance in its 50-year history.
The retailer said, sales volumes remained under pressure from discount supermarkets such as Aldi & Lidl.
Asda chief executive Andy Clarke said the UK grocery market continued to be “challenging”.
It is now the worst performing of the Big Four supermarkets.
Nevertheless, Clarke added that Asda had the “financial strength and clear plan to sustain us through this period, while we take appropriate and considered action to further strengthen our competitive position”.
Aldi and Lidl have a combined 10% share of the grocery market for the first time, the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel (12 weeks ending November the 8th 2015) have revealed.
This has been driven by Lidl as its market share reached a record high of 4.4%, up 0.7% points on last year due to a sales growth of 19%. Aldi grew sales by 16.5%, keeping its market share at 5.6% for the fifth consecutive month.
“If you look back as recently as 2012, Aldi and Lidl only held a 5% share of the market, and it had previously taken them nine years to double their combined share from 2.5%,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel.
“In the last 12 weeks the two retailers have attracted another additional million shoppers compared with last year, while average spend per trip has increased by 4% to £18.85, which is 78p ahead of the total retailer average. The discounters show no sign of stopping and with plans to open hundreds of stores between them they’ll noticeably widen their reach to the British population.”
The grocery market overall saw sales slow by 0.5%, held back by falling prices, which remained down by 1.7% on a like-for-like basis.
However, Sainsbury’s is bucking the trend, seeing its fourth consecutive period of growth with an increase of 1.5% sales to increase its share by 0.2% points. “Sainsbury’s performance means it has once again regained its position as Britain’s second-largest supermarket, pushing ahead of Asda in the latest 12 weeks,” said McKevitt.
Sales fell at the rest of the major retailers with Tesco down -2.5%; Morrisons by -1.7% and Asda by -3.5%.
Waitrose and The Co-operative saw sales rise by 2.7% and 1.5% respectively.
Kantar Worldpanel
Veg Lovers aims to tempt new consumers into trying fresh prepared lines by focusing on core, successful products
QV Foods has extended its Veg Lovers brand into prepared produce.
Sister brand to QV Foods’ Potato Lovers range, Veg Lovers aims to encourage and tempt new consumers into trying fresh prepared lines by focusing on “core, successful products” rather than “baffling them with an array of choices”.
The move to establish Veg Lovers comes after QV Foods was tasked by one of its customers to bring a new branded range of fresh prepared vegetables and potatoes to market in less than a month.
The packaging has been designed to try and simply convey the name of the product and its contents, whilst looking good on shelf.
Sales and marketing director Simon Martin: “Everyone at QV worked really closely to create this range. From the pack imagery to the cooking instructions, it’s been a real team effort.
“Since launching, the Veg Lovers’ prepared range has seen astonishing double digit week-on-week growth, meaning that consumers are indeed identifying with the brand and the products.
“QV Foods’ development team plan to ensure that a steady stream of innovative new lines are rolled out into the brand over the course of next year, whilst keeping to the philosophy of focusing on proven formats.”
The Northumberland Sausage Company has opened its first ever retail outlet located in Newcastle. It has targeted plans for another nine in the next five years.
The brand, called Sausology, opened in Newcastle’s Grainger Market last Monday to an “amazing” response according to the founder of the company Claire Watson-Laney.
The retail outlet sells some of its own range of sausages, of which it has 150 different flavours.
As well as traditional flavours, it offers some more innovative mixes including Pork and Chainbridge Honey, Pork and Lime Pickle and The Northumberland Swirl (450g).
The retail shop also offers customers the opportunity to make their own sausage, allowing people to choose a range of meats as well as ingredients. Customers can have a meeting with the Sausologist and have their ideal sausage made by the staff in-store or can even stay for an hour session and make their own.
The company has been running for five years, originally setting up a small butcher’s shop in Wark, Northumberland. The butcher’s started selling the range of sausages, which became so popular that a factory was set up in West Woodburn, near Hexham.
The company, which has a turnover of over £1m, is now producing in excess of 78,000 sausages per week. It also sells its products to more than 200 retail and catering customers.
“In the next five years we want to be at 10 sites. These will open in different counties and we are looking at Scotland, Leeds, York, Manchester and London.
“In the next site we also want to offer a complete experience day in sausage-making.”
The company currently offers sausage experience days at Brocksbushes Farm Shop, Corbridge which are proving popular.
Lincolnshire store offered crate of free fruit to children saying it wants to encourage healthy eating
A Tesco store has impressed shoppers by offering free fruit for children to eat while their parents shop.
The Lincolnshire store put a notice up by a crate full of fruit consisting of: bananas, oranges, apples, berries and other fruit, saying it wanted to encourage healthy eating.
Shopper Vicci Skinn posted a photo of the sign on Tesco’s Facebook page. It said: “Hi parents. Please feel free to take a piece of fruit on us for your children to eat whilst you shop.
“We would like to encourage healthy eating and make your shopping trip that bit easier.
“Enjoy your day and thank you for shopping at Tesco Brigg!!”
Skinn wrote under the post: “I just wanted to say how wonderful it was to see this display in our local Tesco today. After seeing all the sweets out for Hallowe’en this made a refreshing change.”
Tesco responded to the post to say: “Hi Vicci. This is fantastic to see! I’m glad you appreciate the free fruit our store offers.”
Major fast food chain McDonald’s has revealed a pilot range of premium burgers which it launched in 28 restaurants last week.
The new editions to the menu have been created by McDonald’s team of food specialists and its Chefs Council – a team of chefs with experience ranging from working in Michelin-starred restaurants to cooking for international royalty.
Known as ‘The Signature Collection’, the premium burger range consists of a much thicker beef patty, made using 100% British and Irish beef. The burgers are available in three varieties: The Classic, The BBQ and The Spicy. Each is served in a brioche-style bun.
“At McDonald’s we are committed to listening to our customers and evolving our menu to offer something for everyone,” explained Duncan Cruttenden, food development director for the restaurant chain.
Cruttenden headed a team of experts who used customer insight to create the products. During research, three key focus points arose. It was revealed that customers wanted a thicker beef burger, high-quality ingredients and for the meals to be freshly prepared. Following this hypothesis, McDonald’s Food Development team joined forces with the Chefs’ Council to create the range with these areas at the heart of the products.
“When the Chefs Council started to develop this new premium offering, we worked with a brief generated by our customers – they told us they wanted thicker beef patties, high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared,” added Cruttenden.
“We’ve crafted a range that is a truly exciting permanent addition to our menu – every product has to earn a place on our menu and our customers have told us the Signature Collection has done just that.”
To ensure that the range stands out from other products on the menu, the Signature Collection is served in a stylish black packaging, with fries served in a matching carton.
The new burgers hitting the restaurants are:
1) The Classic: 100% British and Irish beef patty served with two rashers of Beechwood smoked bacon, a slice of natural cheddar cheese, wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, ketchup, Batavia lettuce and red onion.
2) The BBQ: 100% British and Irish beef patty topped with smoky BBQ sauce, coleslaw, red onion and Batavia lettuce, also served with Beechwood smoked bacon and a slice of natural cheddar cheese.
3) The Spicy: 100% British and Irish beef patty complemented with jalapeño slices, Pepper Jack cheese, Batavia lettuce, mayonnaise and a spicy relish.
Due to the thickness of the premium patties, the burger takes slightly longer to cook than other burgers on the menu.
The trial was launched on last week, (4 November) in 28 restaurants in London and the south of the country, with plans to roll out to an estimated 400 additional restaurants as of next summer.
Retailer will stock wonky carrots, potatoes, onions and parsnips in new range after Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall highlights food waste
Morrisons is launching a new permanent range of wonky vegetables before the end of this year at a discounted price.
The new range will include wonky veg such as onions, potatoes, carrots and parsnips, Morrisons told FPJ. A spokesperson said the retailer already sells Class 2 carrots as part of its Savers range, but the new wonky range is a new addition.
The news comes following a programme by celebrity chef and food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, named Hugh’s War on Waste, where he gave away outgrade parsnips outside a London branch of Morrisons to highlight the problem of food waste.
In response, the retailer conducted a trial of selling wonky courgettes alongside Class One courgettes, but found that the ‘ugly’ vegetables sold much more slowly which was anticipated. Morrisons said this was because it had been priced the same as the Class One produce, and wonky veg only works when it is discounted.
Fearnley-Whittingstall criticised the trial as “pathetic” and told the Guardian newspaper that placing Class One next to substandard produce is “not what we’re asking supermarkets to do”.
It’s not the first time a celebrity chef has been instrumental in prompting a supermarket to stock outgrade produce – earlier this year Jamie Oliver persuaded Asda to launch its first-ever range of wonky fruit and vegetables after meeting growers as part of his Channel 4 series Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast.