Welcome to the December issue of Grocery Trader. As part of its plans shared in April 2023 to attract one million new member owners by 2028, the Co-op is now already half-way towards this target by reaching the milestone of 5 million active member owners. The member owned business, which is the UK’s largest consumer Co-operative has invested £90m overall into prices in 2023 with member owners now saving 7.5% on average on essential everyday items such as milk and eggs in comparison to what they would pay at other convenience retailers.
Tesco has announced ambitious plans to install solar panels on 100 of its large stores across the UK over the next three years – with the onsite power generation helping to manage increased electricity demand and higher energy costs. The project will form part of a number of new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with renewables investors. Tesco has already launched a series of onsite and offsite PPAs to increase the amount of renewable electricity it can generate directly.
Asda has announced that it has opened its 100th Asda Express store, following its rapid rollout of Co-op and EG Group conversions. Last month, Asda announced that it had completed the acquisition of EG Group’s UK business meaning the retailer will take on hundreds of new convenience stores.
In every corporate boardroom and C-suite meeting worldwide, the conversation invariably turns to the ever-expanding influence and immense potential of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a ubiquitous topic that transcends industries and regions, presenting a common challenge: how to harness AI’s capabilities effectively and efficiently. The results are as vast as they are creative, writes Ben Harknett, CEO, CAMBRI.
The convenience retail landscape has changed a lot in recent years, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis hitting both retailers and consumers hard meaning retailers need to be more considered than ever before when deciding which brands and products to stock and promote to ensure they’re keeping up with consumer demand. The modern-day retailer needs more than a rushed presentation on a tablet, and there’s a lot more direct value they can get from a visit than free stock, writes Green Field Marketing’s Managing Director, Russell Johnston.
The 100-day countdown to Christmas – a period which also includes key dates such as Halloween, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in quick succession – is the busiest period in the retail calendar, and unquestionably the most challenging. This year’s Golden Quarter will likely be one of the most difficult in recent memory, writes Retail Express’ Ed Betts.
We wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Enjoy reading the issue.
Comments are closed.