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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Nov- 2025 -10 November
Co-op to open 50 new stores before Christmas
Co-op has revealed plans to open more than 50 new or transformed stores across the UK before Christmas. The openings, which takes Co-op’s investment to more than £200m over 2024/25 in over 200 new and transformed stores, are a variety of formats and locations. As part of the 50, Co-op…
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7 November
Waitrose unveils first ‘Home of Food Lovers’ concept store
Waitrose has opened its first “Home of Food Lovers” concept store in Newbury, marking a key step in the grocer’s £1bn investment programme to enhance and expand its 317-strong estate. The 27,000 sq ft Berkshire site will act as a testing ground for new concepts designed to improve service and…
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6 November
Sainsbury’s ups guidance amid strong first half
Sainsbury’s has raised its full-year guidance and now expects a retail underlying operating profit of more than £1bn for its full-year results following strong sales in its first half. It comes as Sainsbury’s reported a 5.2% rise in retail sales excluding fuel for the half-year ended 13 September 2025, driven…
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6 November
UK retail footfall dips 1.3% in October
Retail footfall across the UK fell 1.3% in October compared with the same month last year, according to data from MRI Software. The decline was led by a 2.3% drop in high street visits, while shopping centres and retail parks recorded smaller decreases of 0.2% and 0.4% respectively. The report…
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5 November
Aldi to open 16 new stores in run up to Christmas
Aldi announced it is to open 16 new stores between Thursday 6 November and Friday 12 December 2025, as it continues its £650m investment into its store estate. The new stores locations include Kirkintilloch in Scotland, Cheadle in Staffordshire, Billericay in Essex and Kentish Town in London. The UK’s fourth-largest…
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3 November
Asda sells Leon back to founder
Asda has confirmed the sale of Leon Restaurants to its co-founder John Vincent for an undisclosed price. The deal includes 46 Leon restaurants and 20 UK franchise sites, as well as three in the Netherlands and one in Italy. Around 1,120 Leon staff will transfer to the new ownership. Asda…
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Oct- 2025 -31 October
Asda distribution managers secure GMB bargaining deal
The GMB union has announced that it now represents almost 1,000 Asda distribution managers after they voted in favour of a collective bargaining agreement covering pay and conditions. The move, which was authorised by the Central Arbitration Committee, applies to 980 salaried managers across 23 distribution sites. It marks the…
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27 October
M&S ends IT service desk partnership with TCS
Marks and Spencer (M&S) has reportedly let go of its IT service desk partnership with its India-based IT consultancy. According to The Telegraph, the retailer terminated its contract with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in July, but TCS said the move was not related to the cyber attack incident that occurred…
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27 October
Supermarkets urge chancellor to drop new rates surtax
Nine of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains have called on chancellor Rachel Reeves to exclude large retail stores from the government’s proposed business rates surtax, warning it would add pressure to food prices. The letter, organised by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), was signed by the heads of Aldi, Asda, Iceland,…
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27 October
Asda to open second standalone George store in Hull
Asda is set to open its second standalone George concept store in Hull on 31 October, as part of plans to replace its Asda Living brand with the George format nationwide. The new store, located at Anlaby Retail Park, follows the pilot site at Crown Point in Leeds, which opened…
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