Supermarkets
Supermarkets examines the strategies, performance, and operational challenges facing the UK grocery retail sector. This section reports on trading results, pricing strategy, supply chain management, sustainability initiatives, and consumer trends influencing supermarket performance. Retail Sector’s Supermarkets coverage provides analysis and insight for retail leaders, buyers, and suppliers, exploring how competition, regulation, and innovation are shaping profitability and long-term growth across the grocery landscape.
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Apr- 2025 -1 April
Supermarket sales jump 1.8% amid increased promotions
Take-home supermarket sales increased by 1.8% over the four weeks to 23 March 2025 compared with one year ago – the slowest rate since June last year, according to the latest data from Kantar. It comes as retailers’ price cuts were responsible for £2.6bn of promotional spending, 8.8% more than…
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1 April
Asda launches facial recognition trial in five stores
Asda has announced that it has begun trialling Live Facial Recognition in five of its stores in Greater Manchester. The supermarket is aiming to assess if this technology can be used to improve staff and customer safety in store. The technology is integrated into Asda’s existing CCTV network and works…
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Mar- 2025 -31 March
Co-op rebrands Nisa as Co-op Wholesale
Co-op has rebranded its Nisa division as Co-op Wholesale in a bid to reaffirm its commitment to the independent retail sector. The supermarket has said that this move re-enforces the group’s commitment to drive “increased value” for independent retailers, whilst fuelling expansion ambitions into broader corporate business to business markets.…
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28 March
Asda unveils £80m investment into retail pay
Asda has announced an £80m investment in retail pay to increase hourly rates for store-based colleagues to £12.60 from October. Circa 115,000 Asda Retail and Asda Express colleagues will receive an above inflation increase of 4.7% in three phases, taking rates from £12.04 to £12.60 per hour. Hourly rates for…
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25 March
Co-op launches Aldi price match pledge on over 100 products
Co-op has announced it is launching its biggest ever value campaign tomorrow (26 March), matching Aldi prices on over 100 everyday essentials including fresh fruit, milk, eggs and bread. The move, which Co-op said is the largest of its kind in convenience stores and a UK first for quick-comm platforms,…
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25 March
Morrisons to close 52 cafés and 17 convenience stores
Morrisons has announced it is set to close 52 cafés, all 18 market kitchens, 17 convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies, in a bid to optimise its operations and to help mitigate recent significant cost increases. The supermarket said a wide-ranging review identified…
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24 March
Asda announces price cuts of up to 45% on 1500 products
Asda has announced it is cutting prices on 1,500 “family favourite” products by up to 45% both in store and online. This latest wave of Rollback price cuts means nearly 10,000 products—almost a third of Asda’s entire range—have been reduced in price since Asda brought back its price cut proposition…
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19 March
Co-op extends Uber Eats partnership
Co-op and Uber Eats have announced a three-year extension of their quick commerce partnership, which started in 2022. The partnership has seen the number of Co-op stores where Uber Eats is available increase to more than 1,300. Co-op will now extend its work with Uber Direct – Uber’s white-label last-mile…
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18 March
Tesco announces £180m investment in staff pay
Tesco has reached an agreement with trade union USDAW that will increase the hourly pay rate for staff in stores, from £12.02 to £12.45 from 30 March 2025, and again to £12.64 from the end of August. This two-stage rate increase represents an above-inflation increase of 5.2% builds on the…
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17 March
Sainsbury’s CEO confident amid intensifying competition
Sainsbury’s CEO, Simon Roberts, has acknowledged the rising competition in the supermarket sector following Asda’s decision to cut prices but remains confident in his company’s ability to stay ahead, according to The Times. His remarks follow a 7.8% drop in Sainsbury’s shares, wiping out £487m in value after Asda’s pricing…
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