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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Aug- 2025 -22 August
Lidl signs EHRC pledge to strengthen sexual harassment protection
Lidl Great Britain has signed a legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after an employment tribunal found it failed to take reasonable steps to stop the sexual harassment of a young female employee. The tribunal ruled that between 2019 and 2021, a Lidl GB employee was…
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22 August
Asda launches second sustainability-linked finance scheme with Lloyds
Asda has launched a new sustainability-linked supply chain finance scheme in partnership with Lloyds Bank, aimed at incentivising environmental and social improvements across its supplier base. The scheme offers tiered access to preferential financing rates, with terms dependent on suppliers’ performance against a range of sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs).…
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21 August
Waitrose managing director James Bailey to step down
The John Lewis Partnership has announced that James Bailey will step down as managing director of Waitrose at the end of September after more than five years in the role. Bailey joined in 2020 and led the supermarket through the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Under his leadership,…
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21 August
M&S to invest £340m as it doubles food business
Marks and Spencer (M&S) will open a new food hub after announcing a £340m investment in its food supply chain, the largest in its history. This multi-year investment will fund the development of an automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire as the group looks to double the size of…
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20 August
Total till sales slow to 3.7% in July, NIQ finds
Total till sales growth at UK supermarkets slowed to +3.7% in the four weeks ended 9 August 2025, down from +5.8% in July, according to data from NielsenIQ (NIQ). NIQ data suggests that following the early summer heatwaves at the end of June and early July, along with treating themselves…
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20 August
Lidl launches ‘Live Well’ health and sustainability logo
Lidl GB has become the first discount supermarket to introduce a health marker across its own-label products. The ‘Live Well’ logo, designed to help shoppers identify healthier options in store, will apply to more than 100 items including fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and plant-based proteins. It will begin appearing on shelves…
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19 August
Grocery sales up 4% as Lidl narrows gap on Morrisons
Take-home grocery sales grew 4% in the four weeks to 10 August, as Lidl also closed in on Morrisons’ market position as the UK’s fifth largest grocer, the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator show. The figures also showed that grocery price inflation eased slightly to 5.0%, down from 5.2%…
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18 August
Morrisons Folkestone to create 30 jobs with online expansion
Morrisons is creating more than 30 full and part-time jobs at its Folkestone store as it expands its online shopping service. The supermarket will begin fulfilling online orders directly from its Cheriton Road branch in August. New roles include home delivery drivers, online team leaders and customer assistants. As part…
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15 August
Aldi to upgrade more than 20 stores by end of 2025
Aldi is set to upgrade more than 20 of its UK stores before the end of the year, including two major extensions in Cumbria and Wales. Its stores in Barrow-in-Furness and Ebbw Vale will undergo full-scale extensions between now and December, while a further 21 sites will receive internal improvements…
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15 August
Lidl announces fifth pay rise in two years
Lidl GB will increase hourly pay rates for store and warehouse staff from September, marking its fifth wage rise in two years. Entry-level pay will rise from £12.75 to £13.00 nationally, increasing to £13.95 depending on length of service. In London, hourly rates will increase from £14.00 to £14.35, rising…
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