Tag Archives: Prices

The Price of Petrol

During the summer my pattern of buying petrol changed.  My semi-regular route takes me past two independent garages and two superstores.  Almost invariably over years Tesco has been the cheapest, often by some margin.  But this changed at some point, … Continue reading

Posted in Asda, CMA, Competition, Competition and Markets Authority, Convenience stores, Cooperative Group, Independents, Petrol, Pricing, Tesco, Wholesaling | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The (Retail) Reality of our Current Predicament

Whatever political leanings one has, the last ten days or so have hopefully provided a nadir in political (mis-)management of the economy and society.  The crashing of the pound, the almost demise of the pension market, a screeching u-turn on … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Cost of Living, Costs, Economics Observatory, Employment, Government, Inflation, Pricing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are Retailers Social Engineers?

A few months ago, we published our report for Food Standards Scotland (FSS) entitled “Identifying and Understanding the Factors that can Transform the Retail Environment to Enable Healthier Purchasing by Consumers”.  The report and various summaries along with our brief … Continue reading

Posted in Community Grocer, Consumer Lifestyle, Consumers, Convenience stores, Cross Party Group, Deposit Return Scheme, Diet and Health, Food, Food Retailing, Food Standards, Health, Healthcare Retail Standard, Healthy Living, Independents, Local Retailers, Restaurants, Retail Change, Retailers, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Grocers Federation, Small Shops, Social Inequality, Social Justice, Sugar Tax, Waste | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Co-operative Tokens, Sports Direct and The Bristol Pound

A little while ago I put up the photograph above on Twitter of three Co-operative Society tokens I had found; in this case from the Pontycymmer Industrial and Co-operative Society for a large loaf and one pint and a half … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol Pound, Community Co-operatives, Cooperative Tokens, Cooperatives, Food Retailing, History, Local Currency, Local Multiplier, Localisation, Places, Retail Change, Sports Direct | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The ‘squeezed middle’ and the domino effect in the grocery supply chain

A popular phrase used in media and other commentary on the UK grocery system is that “Small firms are being ‘squeezed’ by their powerful partners“.   This is shorthand for financial pressures put on SMEs by large organisations such as grocery … Continue reading

Posted in Academics, Brexit, Food Retailing, Governance, Networks, Pressure, Regulation, Relationships, Retailers, Suppliers, Supply Chains, Sustainability, Toblerone | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Plastic Bags, Referenda and Retail Prices

I’ve just come off the radio after doing a short piece on the John Beattie Radio Scotland show about the introduction of carrier bag charging in Scotland. Some three and a bit years after I wrote about this, the Scottish … Continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Government, John Lewis Partnership, London, Plastic Bags, Pricing, Retailers, Waitrose | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The A to W of Scottish Food Retailing

Today sees the opening of the 4th Waitrose store in Scotland and the largest so far. The fourth store, at Newton Mearns represents another step forward for the company in Scotland and further competition for retailers already in the market. … Continue reading

Posted in Brands, Food Retailing, Market Shares, Retail Economy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment