Blog Archives

Coping with the Economic Crisis: What Will Consumers Do?

It’s torrid times around the world for many consumers and businesses and, likely, it’ll get worse before it gets better. But, hey, it WILL get better! What’s up? Pundits are quick to advise us that a succession of unprecedented events

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Posted in Inflation, Uncategorized

Anti-Obesity Activists and Government Put Pressure on Tesco to Promote Sales of Healthy Food Products

Our experiences with the coronavirus pandemic has heightened awareness of the link between personal health and diet. The food industry is under increasing pressure to be part of the solution, not part of the problem! But, getting consumers to change

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Posted in Credentials

Trust Me, I’m a Farmer (or Fisherman)!

Big corporates – supermarkets and fmcg – are courting farmers and fisherfolk again. Is this a Covid-19 thing that induces love for primary food producers? Yes but it’s more than a kneejerk coronavirus response. One outcome of a pandemic or,

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Posted in Consumer, Fresh Products, Sustainability

Trust Me, I’m a Farmer!

Back in 1933, soap detergent company Procter & Gamble sponsored “Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins” daytime radio show and soap operas were born! Post-War, the “goggle-box” arrived and we’ve been huddled together watching the ubiquitous soaps for decades. Food companies got

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Posted in Credentials

In Food Marketing, Savour Those Adjectives!

It’s not so much a point of principle, more one of maintaining standards, but we simply won’t countenance eating a bacon sandwich unless the pig concerned has been privately educated. Needless-to-say, that’s why we plump for Waitrose 1 Free Range,

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Posted in Consumer, Fresh Products, Private Label, Uncategorized

Red Hot Revolution in the World of Food Retail and Food Service

Twenty years ago, the share price of fledgling Amazon.Com was $1.49 and over the next 10 years the company burned money ferociously, made no profits and the share price moved slowly up to $68. Clearly, some investors believed in the

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Posted in Convenience, Foodservice, Online

Fictional Farms: Dangerous Brand Territory for High Profile Food Retailers?

It’s fashionable to be disparaging about Tesco as it struggles to regain market dominance in the UK and sheds overseas holdings like leaves in Autumn. But, it continues to be one of the most innovative grocers in the world. Notwithstanding

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Posted in Credentials, Private Label, Uncategorized

McDonald’s: from Extra Value Meal to The Signature Collection (Do You Want Gluten-Free, King Edward Fries With That?!)

Our blog is largely about what’s happening in the world of supermarkets, but we are curious about anything to do with the business of food and drink! So, we’re interested in food service: in the USA, so-called “away-from-home’ expenditure on

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Posted in Foodservice, Private Label

Fresh Victims of the Price War: Why Commodity Fruit and Vegetables are Going Bananas!

It’s tough out there in the grocery retail trenches and commodity fruit and veg. is slap-bang in the firing line like so much cannon fodder. We blame bananas and milk ably aided and abetted by the hard discounters! We’re training

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Posted in Discount, Promotions

Is The End of the “Big Box” Hypermarket Era Nigh!

Certainly, in the UK shopping habits have evolved through recent economic tough times – we are savvier (demand and seek out low and transparent prices); do a “big shop” less frequently and buy fewer items when we do; increasingly buy

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Posted in Hypermarkets
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About the authors
Prof David Hughes: Around the world, David speaks to senior agribusiness and food industry managers about global food industry developments that are and will affect their businesses and industry. Energetic, engaging, humorous and insightful, David gains the very highest evaluations at seminars, conferences and Board level discussions in every continent he visits. Miguel Flavián: works for several Spanish organisations and companies to help them to learn from the developments of the British grocery market and improve their business back home.