Cost of living insight and opinion
-
Comment & Opinion
How rising costs are forcing brewers to make tough decisions
The critics have moved onto ‘drinkflation’ and of course, beer brewers are the demons for not passing their abv reduction tax savings onto the consumer
-
Comment & Opinion
The DRS debacle is a wake-up call: industry, not government, must lead the way
Industry has been warning for years the scheme was rushed and likely to be immensely costly, says Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the Scottish Retail Consortium
-
Comment & Opinion
How UPFs can become a relic of the past in a world that craves affordable convenience
Increasing evidence points to the harmful effects of the chemicals, additives and industrialised processes used in UPFs, says Jonathan Petrides, CEO and co-founder of Allplants
-
Comment & Opinion
Meat-free isn’t in freefall: why shoppers still want plant-based swaps
The fundamental shopper needs that have driven plant-based over the past decade haven’t changed, says Georgina Bradford, nutrition marketing director at Unilever UK&I
-
Comment & Opinion
Slashing supermarket FSA inspections is playing with fire
The FSA’s move to cut supermarket food safety inspections as part of a shake-up doesn’t show lessons from the past have been learnt
-
Comment & Opinion
Will the deposit return scheme’s new 2025 target be hit?
The big question this week was not whether Scotland’s pioneering DRS would be delayed, but if the new deadline can possibly be hit
-
Comment & Opinion
Six challenges for private label (and three winning strategies)
A turbulent marketplace has pushed suppliers to grapple with market instability and a surge in demand, says Richard Harrow, partner at IPLC
-
Comment & Opinion
Sainsbury’s value own-label relaunch makes sense, but does it scream budget?
Stamford Street shows Sainsbury’s has been paying attention to the success of Asda’s Just Essentials range
-
Comment & Opinion
The growth of private label is about more than cost savings
Sixty per cent of shoppers in Europe now think private labels are as good as national brands, says Steph Cullen, head of UK CPG, Circana
-
Comment & Opinion
How the north-south divide is playing out in cost of living crisis
Real household inflation is not equal across the UK when weighted for the proportion of household spend, says Steph Cullen, head of UK CPG at Circana
-
Comment & Opinion
Are ‘clumsy, meaningless’ food price cap proposals any more than a PR stunt?
Industry players fear the implications have not been fully thought through
-
Comment & Opinion
Suppliers are the latest scapegoat for high food prices. Let’s bust this myth now
The government is attempting to put blame somewhere in its complete naivety of how fmcg supply works, says David Sables, CEO of Sentinel Management Consultants
-
Comment & Opinion
How to make your brand the go-to choice for highly habitual shoppers
If you can break in to a shopper’s eating and shopping habits it’s a licence to print money, says Jeremy Garlick, partner at Insight Traction
-
Comment & Opinion
Morrisons still has a lot of catching up to do, but its new ads and More makeover is a good start
Morrisons is now at least at the races in terms of loyalty, and its revamped More card has an interesting point of difference
-
Comment & Opinion
What’s to like about Sharon White’s plan for JLP?
The JLP council voted overwhelmingly to back Sharon White and her plans. Here’s why
-
Comment & Opinion
Businesses must act now to avoid a future with no food
Food companies must wake up to the challenge of nature loss, says Dragons’ Den star and RSPB ambassador Deborah Meaden
-
Comment & Opinion
The Sunak food summit should invite diverse voices from farmers to citizens
We need different voices pushing for diversity on our plates, biodiversity on and off farm, and diversity in our workforce, says Dan Crossley, executive director at the Food Ethics Council
-
Comment & Opinion
Brands must push innovation to avoid the consumer tradedown
Innovation may feel risky but brands must stay close to shoppers’ hearts during difficult times, says Dr Nicki Morley, head of behavioural science and innovation expertise, UK Insights, at Kantar
-
Comment & Opinion
Six key takeaways from the UK Food & Drink Shows 2023
Forget year of the rabbit, this is quite clearly the year of the vape
-
Comment & Opinion
Less-than-shocking Which? research into c-stores is a sign of the times
Which? and the Food Foundation’s pricing calls may resonate with the public, even if their findings are based on less-than-robust calculations