Talking shop
The just-food team check out the latest goings-on among food retailers.
Talking shop: Is the time right for M&S's European push?
18 April 2013
Despite facing challenges at home, Marks and Spencer is bent on European expansion. In 2011, it re-entered France; yesterday (17 April) the retailer's new outlet in Amsterdam opened its doors. M&S said the move came as part of the group's drive to expand in Benelux countries and - more broadly - to become a leading international and multi-channel retailer. Katy Askew reports.
Talking shop: Morrisons core issues persist
15 March 2013
Morrisons' announcement that it is planning to launch an online grocery offering this year dominated the headlines in the wake of the group's full-year results. While the news is certainly of strategic significance for the UK's fourth-largest retailer, it should not overshadow ongoing problems that the firm is having in its core business.
Talking shop: Plassat aware more work ahead at Carrefour
8 March 2013
Carrefour's 2012 results offer signs of encouragement for the world's second-largest retailer. However, some analysts insisted much more work is needed. That is true but Carrefour CEO Georges Plassat recognises the challenges that still lie ahead.
Talking shop: Online opportunity in China, Thailand
5 March 2013
Online grocery retailing in China and Thailand promises great opportunities for international supermarket groups to crack these two diverse, challenging and potentially lucrative Asian markets. Andrew Don reports.
Talking shop: Retailers must deliver online promises
11 January 2013
Unsatisfactory online grocery experiences - especially on special occasions - are a sure-fire way to undermine brand loyalty, writes Andrew Don.
Talking shop - McLeod's Coles turnaround
26 September 2012
Executives often talk about how they plan to turn around struggling businesses but it is less common for the grand ideas to result in improved performance.
Talking shop: Pragmatic Ahold puts Nordic foray under review
7 September 2012
Ahold's decision to review its investment in Nordic retailer ICA is another sign of the Dutche retailer's considered approach to growth, Dean Best writes.
Talking shop: City sees rationale in PE interest for M&S
29 August 2012
Marks and Spencer may have indicated there is nothing to announce but reports of private-equity interest in the upmarket UK grocer has got the industry talking.
Talking shop: Confident Ocado surprises City with Tesco offensive
21 August 2012
Ocado's decision to launch a price comparison campaign against rival and retail giant Tesco has been met with confusion and surprise by some analysts, one of whom suggests the UK online retailer could be hastening its demise with the move.
Talking shop: Is Wal-Mart's EDLP focus enough to drive sustained growth?
16 August 2012
Wal-Mart's EDLP strategy has successfully driven sales growth in the second quarter, as shoppers across the globe increasingly seek out low prices. Significantly, the company was able to report that comparative sales were up in every market in which it operates. However, Katy Askew asks, is a focus on price alone enough to maintain this momentum in the longer-term?
Talking shop: Can profits follow Waitrose H1 sales north?
3 August 2012
UK retailer Waitrose has won praise from analysts today after a solid rise in first-half sales led by its convenience and online businesses but we wait to hear the impact of recent promotional activity on profits. Chris Mercer reports.
Talking shop: Carrefour's Plassat makes "encouraging" early impression
22 June 2012
After a poor year for Carrefour and the departure of its CEO, the market has waited to see what new boss Georges Plassat plans for the French retail giant.
Talking shop: Why uncertainty surrounds Supervalu, Fresh & Easy
15 June 2012
US retailers Supervalu Inc and Fresh & Easy this week made major announcements on own label, a sector that continues to grow in the US. However, as Dean Best writes, the jury is out on the future of both businesses, which remain under pressure and battling fierce competition.
Talking shop: City hails buoyant Booker's move for ailing Makro
31 May 2012
Parts of the City had called for Booker to buy Metro Group's UK arm Makro a year ago and, this week, the UK food wholesaler has announced a cash-and-shares takeover for the business. Analysts have welcomed the deal, even for a loss-making business, which also includes an ongoing "partnership" between Booker and Metro. Dean Best reports.
Talking shop: Price-driven Asda prospers - for now
18 May 2012
Asda, the UK's second-largest retailer, has reported "market-leading growth" in early weeks of 2012. Analysts say Asda's focus on price has helped the retailer gain shoppers from the likes of Tesco and Morrisons, although, if and when the economy recovers, it may need to demonstrate it can offer consumers more. Dean Best reports.
Talking shop: Wal-Mart hit by shock-waves from Mexican scandal
25 April 2012
Shares in Wal-Mart de Mexico y Centroamerica plummeted this week as allegations the company bribed officials to speed up store openings prompted many shareholders to offload the stock at a rate of knots. Meanwhile, concern that US regulators will pursue action against parent company Wal-Mart Stores for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could have some far-reaching consequences for the world's largest retailer. Katy Askew reports.
Talking shop: Wal-Mart focuses on better international returns
16 April 2012
Wal-Mart is focused on improving returns from the international markets in which it is present over entering new countries. That was the message from Doug McMillon, CEO of the retailer's operations outside the US, as he met analysts in Canada last week.
Talking shop: Does the hypermarket format have a future?
3 April 2012
"Soulless sheds", "beached whales" and "blips in the history of retail" are descriptions that have recently been assigned to hypermarkets, a format that seems to have taken on the persona of a dinosaur whose days are numbered. Glynn Davis takes a look at whether this once high-flying format can be rejuvenated.
Talking shop: Morrisons ups the stakes with its "Shop of the Future"
29 March 2012
Through its innovative focus on fresh food and deep involvement in the supply chain Morrisons has become the wunderkind everyone is watching. Andrew Don takes a look at how the UK's fourth-largest retailer is attempting to stand out from the pack.
Talking shop: Morrisons prepares for fresh food battle
9 March 2012
Morrisons may be mulling expansion into the world of online and convenience retailing but, with Tesco looking to fresh food to revitalise sales, the UK's fourth-largest supermarket group is also turning to its founding principles to drive growth, writes Katy Askew.
