British supermarket chain Waitrose are inviting to combine penny saving and healthy New Year’s resolutions with a new green shopping initiative. The supermarket is encouraging its customers to cycle to stores as an alternative to using cars by loaning cycle trailers. During January and February, 21 branches across the England are introducing cycle trailers, which will allow customers to transport their shopping home using pedal power. Equipped with large canvas shopping bags, the trailers are... ...Read more »
Shanks, hocks and cheeks are giving prime cuts a run for their money, according to UK supermarket chain Waitrose. As the credit crunch deepens, sales of cheaper, lesser known cuts of meat have rocketed, prompting the supermarket to increase distribution in a bid to keep up with demand. Pigs’ cheeks, which were launched into four branches ten weeks ago at just £1.35 per lb (A$3.05), are now being stocked in over 34 stores. Similarly, sales of ox cheeks have risen by an average of 80% per... ...Read more »
It’s not just the economy that is being compared to the 1970s. Sales of foods from the decade that brought us flares and fondues and ABBA and Abigail’s Party are also enjoying a revival according to the latest figures released by UK retailer Waitrose. In a week in which popular chef Gordon Ramsay will present his special retro-inspired Cookalong TV programme in Britain, the supermarket last week reported sales of Scampi have rocketed by 80% and King Prawns have risen by 50%. Cheesecake,... ...Read more »
UK supermarkets Waitrose and Booths have announced plans to join forces on a new buying alliance in order to reduce costs and improve their ability to compete with the major retailers. Booths currently has 26 supermarkets located in the north of England and Waitrose 192 throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The deal between the two companies is designed to take advantage of the “synergies between the two brands” and will involve sharing cost prices and deal structures for branded food... ...Read more »
New research released by Seafish, the authority on seafood in the UK, has revealed that sushi is now an established lunchtime favourite. Sales of sushi are up 21% year on year, with the total UK sushi market now worth £38.9 million per annum. The raw fish trade is booming in ‘western’ countries worldwide, with health benefits and an increased consumer desire for something different assisting the trend. The love affair with sushi has been noticeable here in Australia, with a host of... ...Read more »
Waitrose has become the first major UK retailer to embark on a wide scale trial of anaerobic digestion. The concept is to convert waste food into renewable energy in a pioneering trial which may transform the way that the supermarket industry disposes of its waste. The retailer is using all of the food waste from five of its shops to generate renewable energy, which goes back into the national grid. If successful, the scheme could be rolled out to far more Waitrose shops and provide an environmentally... ...Read more »
Taking the private label concept a step further, UK retailer Waitrose is to launch the first line of milk to be produced exclusively from the supermarket’s own herd of cows at its working farm in Hampshire.The 4,000-acre farm has been in operation for over 80 years and, as of this week, Waitrose Traditional Milk produced on the Leckford Estate in Hampshire will be available on the shelves of the supermarket’s 190 outlets. Leckford is part of the Waitrose Select Farm Milk Scheme, an industry-leading... ...Read more »
Online grocery retail has proven incredibly successful in the UK in recent years and has already been touted as an environmentally-friendly option - as it could reduce traffic on the road. Waitrose, however, has taken the next step by becoming the first major UK retailer to use bicycles to deliver groceries to the homes of its online customers. Employees from the food shop’s branch in Cambridge branch will be ‘saddling up’ to make deliveries using an eco-bicycle and trailer. The move... ...Read more »
Waitrose is investing £6M in a fresh design concept for its food shops, to strengthen the retailer’s foodie credentials and respond to customer demand for more authoritative information about food.Waitrose, a leading UK retailer, has undertaken extensive research to ascertain what consumers are looking for and found that, as people are cooking at home more often, many are looking for inspiration while more information about products is also desired. High profile communication in store will... ...Read more »