Discount retailer Aldi has reported its best Christmas ever, with sales up by 26 per cent during December.
Sales topped £1.4 billion in the month for the first time, reflecting the increased demand for value amid the cost of living pressures.
“This year, Christmas was all about family and football as people came together to celebrate in a way we’ve not enjoyed for years. I’m immensely proud of our amazing colleagues who once again went above and beyond to deliver an amazing Christmas for our customers,” Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said.
“As the UK’s cheapest supermarket, we were able to help shoppers enjoy the Christmas they deserved and provide them with the highest quality products at the most affordable prices.
“As we head into a new year, our promise to customers is that they will always get the UK’s lowest prices at Aldi, no matter what.”
The retailer reported strong growth in fresh meat sales, with fresh poultry and pork options both up over 28 per cent. Sales of chilled desserts and fresh cheeses also went up, seeing an increase of almost 30 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.
Snacks such as crisps and nuts were up over 40 per cent as the World Cup coincided with the run up to Christmas for the first time.
Together, customers bought more than 48 million mince pies, 38 million pigs-in-blankets and more than 1,700 tonnes of sprouts in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the retailer added.
DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) today (20) has published more detail on the definitions of single-use or disposable vapes, the penalties for selling them after the introduction of the ban on June 1st this year, and what to do if you have stock of single use vapes.
DEFRA's new guidance confirms that from 1 June 2025, it will be illegal for businesses to sell, offer to sell or have in their possession for sale all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. This applies to sales online and in shops and to all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine.
The guidance released is for importers, retail outlets, vaping product manufacturers and wholesalers.
This includes any shop or business that sells single-use vapes, such as a convenience store, market stall, petrol station, specialist vape shop and supermarket.
The restrictions of the ban are consistent across all 4 nations.
As mentioned in the guidance, for a vape to be considered reuseable, it must be both:
rechargeable
refillable
A vape is not considered reuseable, if it is:
rechargeable but not refillable
refillable but not rechargeable
A vape is not considered rechargeable if it has a:
battery you cannot recharge
coil you cannot buy separately and easily replace
The coil is the part of the vape that’s powered by the battery to produce heat, vaporising the e-liquid. With a reusable vape, you may be able to directly remove and replace the coil, or remove and replace the pod or cartridge in which the coil is encased.
A vape is not considered refillable if:
it has a single-use container, such as a pre-filled pod, that you cannot buy separately and replace
you cannot refill the container
The container may be in the form of:
a capsule
a cartridge
a pod
a tank
anything designed to hold the vaping liquid and be used within the vape
To be reusable, a vape must:
have a battery you can recharge
be refillable with vape liquid (up to a maximum of 10ml)
Welcoming the new guidance published by the Government ahead of the introduction of a ban on single-use vapes in June, convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) stated that DEFRA has reminded retailers of their responsibilities when it comes to vape recycling.
The ACS Selling Vapes Responsibly guide also includes advice for retailers on how to spot an illicit product, with information on all of the things to look out for on the packaging and where to check the list of legitimate products, as well as advice on preventing underage sales and the use of Challenge25 to support colleagues.
Since the start of 2024, retailers who sell vapes have been required to provide a takeback service for customers on a minimum of a ‘one for one’ basis (a customer can return a vape when they purchase a new one).
The DEFRA guidance clarifies that if you sell vapes, you must offer a ‘take-back’ service where you accept vapes and vape parts which includes any single-use vapes returned by customers after the introduction of the ban on June 1st.
The WEEE regulations state that this take-back service must be provided on a minimum of a one-for-one basis.
Anyone selling disposable vapes from June 1st 2025 could be subject to a £200 fixed penalty notice, followed by further enforcement action if illicit activity continues. ACS’ Assured Advice on Selling Vapes Responsibly is available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/advice/selling-vapes
Independent retailers are urging the Scottish government to rethink its plans to exclude them from business rates relief support announced in last month’s Budget.
Finance secretary Shona Robison announced on December 4 that 40 per cent relief towards business rates bills would only be given to the hospitality sector in Scotland.
Now, Mo Razzaq, the National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), has written to her, urging her to follow the UK government and grant business rates relief support to retail businesses. This decision was taken by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her budget on October 30.
Mr Razzaq said: “The Scottish government appears to have the numbers in Parliament to ensure that its budget proceeds next month. However, we appeal to ministers to review their proposal that small shops are excluded from the 40 per cent rates relief the UK government is awarding. This is because small independent shops are more vulnerable to closure.
“Shona Robison, the finance secretary in Scotland, has the money in identified funds flowing from the UK budget but is choosing not to spend it in this way. It is a bizarre decision as small shops in Scotland experience the same tough trading conditions as shops elsewhere."
In the letter, Mr Razzaq welcomed the government’s acknowledgement that retail crime was of major concern and that extra funds were required to tackle it. However, the proposed £3million was insufficient “to combat this issue which impacts on the safety and sustainability of small independent shops.” He urged Ms Robison to review it.
Rappers Krept (Cayso Johnson) and Konan, in collaboration with entrepreneur Kayson Ali, are set to open a new halal and world foods store in south London in a bid to better serve the local community.
Saveways Supermarket will officially open on Feb 1 in the duo’s hometown of Croydon, a 15,000 sq ft. retail site close to Asda.
Krept & Konan, whose debut album entered the UK charts at number two in 2015, said the store will be a “landmark in the community”, redefining convenience stores in the region by focusing on customers from Black, Asian, and mixed ethnic backgrounds.
The rappers reportedly said the area has been under-served by smaller food shops that “often lack in product variety, hygiene standards, parking and fair pricing”.
Saveways, they said, will specialise in world foods and halal produce and has been designed to serve the diverse population of Croydon and its surrounding areas.
The store will feature a halal meat and poultry counter, fresh and frozen exotic fish, a bakery, fruit and vegetables, tinned and ambient foods from around the world, and household essentials, including hair and beauty products.
It will also offer foods from global brands and has also secured a UK distribution deal with Martin’s potato rolls from the US.
As stated by Johnson on social media, the store will offer a unique shopping experience tailored to meet the diverse needs of the local community.
"Happy to finally announce our partnership with my brother Kaysor Ali we have created a groundbreaking 15,000sqft 2 floor large-scale diverse and inclusive world foods supermarket.
"The store will also provide modern shopping solutions including click & collect, online ordering, and availability on leading delivery platforms such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat.
"Saveways is more than just a supermarket, it’s a hub for the community, celebrating cultural diversity while setting a new standard for halal and world food retailing in the UK.
"The combination of scale, variety, quality, and modern convenience makes Saveways a landmark destination for both everyday shoppers and bulk buyers alike," he stated.
Dino Labbate has been announced as the new Chief Commercial Officer at A.G. BARR plc, the branded multi-beverage business with a portfolio of market-leading UK brands, including IRN-BRU, Rubicon, FUNKIN and Boost.
Dino takes up the role from today, 20 January 2025, having spent seven years at Britvic plc, most recently as GB Commercial Director for Hospitality. With previous experience at Kraft Heinz, Burton’s Biscuits and Northern Foods, Dino brings a wealth of FMCG insight and experience across all channels of the food and drink industry.
“This is a new role for the business and reflects our growth ambitions,” said Euan Sutherland, CEO of the AG Barr Group. “Dino’s FMCG experience, enthusiasm and commitment has made an instant impact on the business. He understands soft drinks and has considerable knowledge across grocery, wholesale, out of home and on-premise, which will play a pivotal role in developing all brands in the business.”
Dino said: “AG Barr has a rich history of success, which alongside the company’s bold growth ambitions, make this a brilliant opportunity for me to help steer our teams on the next chapter of AG Barr’s story. There’s so much potential in our portfolio which is already packed with incredible brands. I’m looking forward to supporting the business as we set ourselves up to win with current and future consumers.”
AG Barr will be announcing a trading update in respect of the financial year ended 25 January 2025 on Tuesday, 28 January 2025.
Brits are increasingly leaning towards cooking from scratch and are ditching ultra processed food, thus embracing a much simpler approach to their diet, a recent report has stated.
According to a recent report from John Lewis Partnership released on Friday (17), supermarket Waitrose has reported that it’s back to basics for many in 2025 due to a growing awareness around ultra processed foods, with many turning away from low-fat, highly processed products in favour of less-processed, whole food ingredients.
Whole milk and full-fat Greek yogurt sales are up 11 per cent and 21 per cent compared to skimmed milk and Greek style yoghurt a year ago.
Block butter sales are up by +20 per cent as compared to dairy spreads while brown rice is seeing +7 per cent more sales as compared to white rice.
The report adds that sourdough bread sales are up by +20 per cent as compared to white bread while full fat Greek yoghurt recorded +21 per cent more sales than Greek style yoghurt.
Over the past 30 days, searches on Waitrose website whole food searches soared with ‘full fat milk’ and ‘full fat yoghurt’ skyrocketing 417 per cent and 233 per cent.
The shfit reflects the wider growing awareness of effects of ultra-processed foods, thanks in no small part to Dr Chris van Tulleken’s bestselling book Ultra-Processed People and its continued momentum in 2024 and into 2025.
His eye-opening, rigorously researched account of ultra-processed foods and their effect on our health turned many people towards cooking from scratch, with unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients.
Maddy Wilson, Director of Waitrose Own Brand comments, “There’s been a lot of bad press around so-called ‘healthy’ products which aren’t nutritious and don’t taste great, however the growing awareness of ultra processed food in our diets has seen many customers seeking the basics and embracing a much simpler approach to their diet.”
Waitrose Food & Drink report released last year highlighted that 54 per cent of those surveyed proactively avoid processed foods.