Catch up on the latest retail news here on Retail Times and find out what’s happening in the retail sector. Keep up to speed with the latest reports and financials covering the top brands in retail right through to the smaller independents. If retail technology and innovation is your bag then we’ve got it covered be it POS, payments or back-end systems we report on the latest developments. For those who are looking for retail data and analysis check out the data time section for more information. Hear comment from both the supplier and retailer in our opinion sector ‘Why it works’ and ‘In my opinion’. And finally, if you have any retail news you’d like us to consider publishing send it across to the team via the contact page.
Spar opened 18 Eurospar stores simultaneously in Denmark on 22 April. A further 20 Eurospar stores are planned at the beginning of 2011. According to Spar, the new stores will strengthen independent retailers’ position in Denmark and provide them with
Spar (UK) is spending more than £2m on promotional support to help retailers back the world’s biggest sporting events this summer. Throughout June and July this, Spar retailers across the UK will support the World Cup, European Athletics Championships and
Spar has launched the Change4Life healthy living campaign at its Filton Avenue, Bristol, store. It is the first convenience store in the south west of England promoting the initiative, which is designed to help families achieve and maintain a healthier
Spar has opened an 8,000sq m flagship hypermarket in Bangalore and is targeting 25 hypermarkets in India by the end of 2012. The hypermarket is situated in the new Mantri Mall and is claimed to be the biggest hypermarket in
Coffee company Lavazza has closed a deal to acquire Ercom, a leading Italian manufacturer of hot chocolate beverages and mixes for sorbets and cold creams, marketed under the Eraclea, Dulcimea and Whittington brands. The acquisition is in line with Lavazza’s
Asda is expanding into the convenience market with plans for a range of smaller format stores. The Wal-Mart-owned supermarket, is also developing its non-food, Asda Living store portfolio and its online business to reach more customers. Announcing Asda’s 2009 results,
New crime statistics gathered by ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) have shown an alarming rise in the number of robberies and burglaries in the UK over the last 12 months. The trade body has called on Government and the
Retailers who play background music in their stores will be able to reclaim up to £20m in overpaid fees after an appeal from the music licensing body PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) was rejected by the high court. The Copyright Tribunal
Birds Eye is to stop sourcing peas in East Anglia and has cancelled its contract with Anglian Pea growers, reports the NFU (National Union of Farmers). The NFU described the move as “a huge disappointment for local producers”, affecting some
Cadbury has announced its chairman, chief executive and chief financial officer will step down following Kraft Foods’ successful takeover offer. The US food giant sealed the takeover yesterday (2 February 2010) when shareholders representing nearly three quarters of Cadbury supported
The rapid spread of supermarkets in China has been good for food safety, according to a top official presenting at the 2010 Food Safety Conference in Washington DC, USA, yesterday. Dr Junshi Chen, head of the Institute of Nutrition and
All stakeholders in the global food and drink industry have a duty to work together to deliver safe food. That was the key message from the 2010 Food Safety Conference in Washington DC, USA, yesterday. The event, organised by The
The new Groceries Supply Code of Practice comes into force today. It applies to all the UK’s 10 biggest grocery retailers – an earlier code covered just the top four supermarkets – and gives suppliers access to independent, binding arbitration
The Co-operative Group has teamed up with Hallmark Cards to raise money for the 2010 Variety Club Gold Hearts Appeal Valentine’s Day. Five pence from the sale of every Hallmark Valentine’s card sold in Co-operative stores will go directly to
US food giant Kraft won its five-month battle for control of Cadbury after shareholders backed its takeover offer today. The vote will end Cadbury’s 186-year history as an independent company. The cash-and-shares deal, recommended by the Cadbury board two weeks
Marc Bolland, the newly appointed chief executive at Marks & Spencer, stands to earn £15m in his first year in the role. Bolland will join Marks & Spencer on 1 May 2010, having been released six months early from his
The UK government has published a new tobacco control strategy today, which it claims establishes a vision of eradicating tobacco harms and creating a smoke free future. The White Paper, Choosing Health: Making healthier choices easier, (building on the 1998
Retailers in England and Wales will be legally required to check under-18s for ID under new measures proposed today by the government to cut down on alcohol-related crime. But the government has stopped short of introducing minimum pricing for alcohol
US food giant Kraft is buying Cadbury for £11.5bn after Cadbury’s board approved a new increased bid for the confectionery business. The Cadbury board has recommended shareholders accept Kraft’s new offer of 840p a share, which values the company at
Artisan food distribution company, Carter House Foods, has teamed up with a display technology firm to launch an interactive 3D virtual farmers’ market to target the growing online home shopping market. Using the latest games technology, the concept combines a
Spar wholesaler, AF Blakemore (AFB), and the retailers it supplies are gearing up for 2010 following a series of road shows. More than 125 retailers attended four regional events to discuss current industry forecasts and AFB’s plans to help retailers
