Jacob Wood

☕ Caffè Nero achieves record £626m sales Caffè Nero Group has reported record sales of £626.4m for FY25, with like-for-like sales up 7% and overall sales up 12%. The group, which operates 1,150 stores across 11 countries, added 94 sites last year – including acquisitions of 200 Degrees Coffee Roasters and FCB Coffee – and plans at least 75 new openings in its current financial year. Founder and CEO Gerry Ford said the performance reflected strong customer growth and brand resilience, despite tough trading conditions. ⚡ Read more on #MCA 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePkJDEF2 #hospitality #coffee #cafes #finance #expansion #CaffeNero #Nero

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After acquiring the oldest chocolatier in Sussex, a former Fortnum & Mason confectionery buyer is now trying to make her brand less reliant on sales to her famous one-time employer. Alice Crone and her husband, William, bought Audrey's Chocolates in Hove last year and have since been increasing its sales from its own-brand products to other retailers. “Our predecessors were really focused on the Fortnum & Mason contract, which is about 80 per cent of the business; we really want other people to know about Audrey’s,” Alice, 34, said. Since buying the company for an undisclosed sum with money from their own savings, friends, family and private investors, the couple have increased annual sales from £1.6m in April last year to £2.1m in the 12 months to September this year. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQKJcFKi

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Marks and Spencer announces major food DC investment - Marks & Spencer has announced a landmark £340 million investment in its food supply chain – the largest in its history – with the multi-year investment funding the development of an automated NDC in Northamptonshire. https://lnkd.in/eXKCQhM6 #automation #logistics #warehouse #DC #investment

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What’s been happening in retail this week? · Aldi UK will open one new store each week until the end of 2025, supported by a £650m investment. Plans include at least 11 new stores and 35 refurbishments, creating 40 jobs per site. The discounter now holds a 10.9% UK market share. · Deliveroo’s grocery sales hit £682m in H1 2025, accounting for 18% of group revenue - highlighting growth in quick commerce. Group revenue rose 9% to £1.05bn, with adjusted EBITDA up 46% to £96.3m. A £19.2m loss was reported due to acquisition-related costs. · Primark launched its first mobile app in Italy and Ireland, allowing product browsing and in-store availability checks. A UK launch is expected within 18 months, as part of its wider ecommerce investment strategy. · Boots UK introduced nine new own-brand home testing kits for areas such as cholesterol, hormones, and intolerances. Results integrate with NHS digital records, supporting a shift towards digitally connected, community-based healthcare. · JD.COM partnered with IKEA to launch a flagship store offering over 6,500 products. The move enables nationwide delivery across China and includes mobile visualisation tools, expanding access beyond physical stores. · MANGO opened its first standalone teen store in Scotland, at Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries, its third in the UK. This supports Mango’s global teen format expansion, with the UK remaining its largest international market for the concept. · Debenhams Group launched an AI skills academy in partnership with Multiverse, using £1.35m from its apprenticeship levy. The initiative will train staff in AI tools to enhance productivity and drive in-house innovation. · Poundland & Dealz rolled out a major online clearance sale with prices from 10p, as part of a turnaround plan backed by £80m funding. The retailer plans to shrink its store estate from 800 to 650–700 and scale back frozen and chilled ranges. · Claire's filed for bankruptcy in the US for the second time, citing rising debt and changes in the retail landscape. Its 280 UK stores are unaffected for now, though the company is still seeking a buyer and reviewing its Canadian operations. · CHANEL and Pandora confirmed customer data breaches linked to cyberattacks via third-party platforms. CHANEL’s US customers had names and contact details compromised, while Pandora reported exposure of basic data only. Both retailers have since strengthened their cybersecurity protocols. · SHEIN is fined €1m (£869,755) by Italy’s competition authority for misleading environmental claims. The penalty follows a €40m (£34.7m) French fine, as regulators challenge Shein’s vague sustainability messaging and unverified targets. 💥 💥 💥 Download our latest research with ESW to explore the £618.5m tariff impact on UK non-food exports, and how brands are adapting through sourcing, pricing and operational strategies. Access the full report below ⬇️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gUaJziM2

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Managing the Butchery (When You're Not a Butcher): Full Episode on Wednesday 3rd September 2025. Listen to the teaser below! Episode 27 of Retail101online takes store managers deep into the world of butchery — without needing to pick up a knife. Host Mark Lack explores how to manage this complex, high-margin department with confidence, even if you're not trained in meat cutting. Learn to challenge shrink, monitor hygiene, measure yield, monitor daily plans, and drive value-add performance. #Retail101 #ButcheryLeadership #ButcheryManagement #ShrinkControl #RetailShrink #YieldMatters #GroceryLeadership #StoreManagerTips #RetailTraining #KPIAccountability #FreshFood #ValueAdd #MeatRetail #RetailPodcast

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Asda Seeing Improved Performance On Back Of Turnaround Plan Asda saw a marked improvement in performance during its second-quarter period to 30th June, as investment in lowering prices and improving product availability helped it win back shoppers and strengthen volumes. On a like-for-like basis, group sales declined by just 0.2%, compared to falls of 3.1% and 4.2% in the previous two quarters. The supermarket’s total revenue for Q2 (excl. fuel) decreased by 0.2% to £5.3bn. Asda noted that since launching its Rollback campaign in January, more than 50% of all products – approximately 14,000 SKUs – have been through or are currently undergoing the price reduction cycle, before being moved to a “new, permanently low Asda Price”. The retailer claimed that the average price reduction of these products is 22%, helping shield customers from rising food price inflation. It noted that its own inflation rate remains “significantly lower” than the 5% market average. Meanwhile, Asda highlighted that it has made progress in improving product availability, with the current level standing at 96% – the highest in eight years. Meanwhile, Asda claimed its Express chain was outperforming the wider convenience market with like-for-like sales growth of 8.6%, today said it was resuming its Express store opening programme having paused to convert the 469 sites acquired from the Co-op and EG Group. Asda also said Project Future ( IT split from Walmart now complete, with all stores, food depots, and home office systems operating on its own technology. Allan Leighton, Asda’s Executive Chairman, commented: “We saw a clear improvement in performance during Q2, with volumes and like-for-like sales strengthening, driven by better product availability and our material investment in price. This widened the price gap over competitors and firmly re-established Asda as the best-value traditional supermarket. “This week, we completed the rollout of Project Future, with all stores now operating on our new systems. The collective rate of completion did cause some temporary disruption with product availability and in our online experience, which will impact our sales outturn in the current quarter. “As planned, we expect to exit the year in like-for-like growth as we continue our investment in price to protect our customers from inflationary pressures. As we’ve said from the outset, transforming Asda will take time, but we remain confident in the direction of travel and the long-term potential of the business.” Leighton added that he still expected a “material reduction in profit” at the business this year as it intended to continue investing what he has called “a pretty significant war chest” in keeping prices down and putting more staff on the shop floor. NamNews Implications: * All the pieces are in place. * All functioning to spec. * Now a matter of time. * (and stakeholder patience) * As we all await the impact on market share… #Asda

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