Select UK potato, carrot growers get 100% backing on costs from Morrisons

By the end of the year, some of the potatoes and carrots that appear in Morrisons supermarkets will be from farms being supported financially by … Morrisons. The generous initiative, in which the retailer is underwriting 100% of costs for growing those vegetables, is part of a trial that will stretch into 2024. Growers have […]
Aldi noses out Lidl again to remain UK’s least expensive supermarket

One month ago, in an effort to save British consumers money at checkouts, Waitrose said it would be slashing prices on already reduced items. It has put an incredible £100m investment behind cost-saving initiatives, including fruit and vegetable areas. And yet, when Which? revealed its latest monthly numbers on the cost of the average supermarket shop […]
Morrisons building partnerships with independents who have ties to local produce

Supermarket chain Morrisons announced it will be opening six new stores in a partnership with independent retailer Jempson’s that specialize in “championing local produce.” Under the “Together with Morrisons” brand, the first of the bunch will be located in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, where the supermarket is promising far more direct sourcing of fresh fruits and […]
UK consumers spent record £12.8B in December, but sales volume dropped

Total grocery sales in the UK jumped more than 7.5% in the run-up to Christmas, according to new data released by Kantar, helped by a slight dip in price inflation. However, the data insight and consultancy points out that while sales did reach a record £12.8 billion, volumes were down by 1% year over year. […]
Shares in UK supermarkets surge amid acquisition speculation

Shares in British supermarkets surged today amid speculation that they could be targets for private equity bids, The Evening Standard reports. Sainsbury’s jumped by 13.8p — or 4.8% — to top the FTSE 100. Tesco was the second biggest riser with a gain of 1.6% and Ocado was just behind, up 1%. Momentum in the sector follows the conclusion of the bidding war […]
Morrisons strikes $9.5B takeover deal with U.S. private equity group that bettered rival offer

Morrisons has agreed to a takeover offer worth £7 billion (US$9.54 billion) from U.S. private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, dropping its recommendation of a lower bid it had previously accepted from a consortium led by Fortress Investment Group. Morrisons, which started out as an egg and butter merchant in 1899, said CD&R’s offer is worth […]
Learning from Pink Lady’s branding success in the UK

As one of the few fresh produce brands in the UK, we take a look at what others can learn about increasing household penetration and retail sales, and how retailers can tap into Pink Lady’s brand awareness. Pink Lady is recognised as the UK’s number one fresh produce brand, and the world’s first apple brand. Since […]
Morrisons agrees to £6.3B takeover by Fortress-led group

Morrisons, the U.K.’s fourth-largest supermarket group, has agreed to a takeover led by SoftBank-owned Fortress Investment Group that values Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket chain at £6.3 billion and tops a rival offer from a U.S. private equity firm. The offer from Fortress, along with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Koch Real Estate Investments, exceeds a […]