Tag: supermarkets

Morrisons announce more support for food banks

Morrisons has announced it will set aside a further £5 million of food supplies to help keep the nation’s food banks stocked up this year.

Last year, Morrisons led the charge to restock Britain’s food banks, who found themselves struggling with unprecedented demand for their services. Through Morrisons network of Community Champions, £10 million of stock was delivered direct to food banks across the UK.

As the UK’s largest fresh foodmaker, Morrisons ran its bakery, egg and fruit & veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks – with over 2 million eggs and over 300,000 loaves of bread distributed through Morrisons own manufacturing sites.

Morrisons also focused on the essential products food banks were calling out for supplying 1 million packets of pasta, 1.5 million litres of long life milk and over 800,000 tins of beans to those in need. Other treats to help bring joy to families included 1 million Easter Eggs and 50,000 packs of McVities Victoria Biscuits through an innovative buy one, donate one campaign in November.

Food was then distributed locally through Morrisons network of local heroes – the community champions – who work closely with food banks on the ground to ensure they’re getting the vital stock that they need.

Food banks continue to play a vital role in the pandemic for many of the most vulnerable people in communities, with research by the Trussell Trust forecasting a 61% increase in food parcels needed across its UK Network this winter – and six emergency food parcels given out every minute. 

The £5 million donation by Morrisons will continue to distribute food to those most in need this year.

Morrisons Chief Executive, David Potts said: “As food banks continue to face the extremely challenging times they find themselves in, it is only right that we continue to play our full part at Morrisons in feeding the nation.

“As a business our priority remains to be kind and support those in society who find themselves struggling through this very difficult time; all of us working together means no-one need be left behind”.

Morrisons customers have also played their part throughout the pandemic, contributing over £180,000 to the Trussell Trust through Morrisons.com and donating hundreds of thousands of products in store through the Morrisons Pick Up Packs.

A scheme where customers can select a small paper bag filled with a number of items needed specifically by their local food bank labelled with a price at the front of store, pay for the items and drop off their bag on their way out. 

Pay boost for Aldi staff

  • New minimum hourly rates for Store Assistants of £9.55 nationally, rising to £10.57  
  • All Scottish store colleagues to receive hourly pay increases 
  • New minimum hourly pay exceeds the Living Wage Foundation’s latest recommended pay rates  
  • Aldi is one of the only supermarkets to offer paid breaks, which means its colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector 
  • Aldi is recruiting for 335 new store colleagues in Scotland in 2021   

Aldi has recognised the amazing contribution of its store colleagues by giving them a New Year’s pay rise and increasing its minimum hourly rates from 1 February 2021.  

All of Aldi’s  1,500 Scottish Store Assistant colleagues will benefit from the pay rise, with Aldi paying a minimum hourly rate of £9.55, up from £9.40.  

The new rates of pay are also boosted by the fact Aldi is still one of the only UK supermarkets to pay for breaks taken during shifts, which means Aldi colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector. When paid breaks are included, Aldi’s minimum hourly pay rate for store colleagues, based on an average six-hour shift, will be £10.11*. 

These changes mean that Aldi store colleagues across Scotland will earn a minimum of £0.83 more per hour than the current National Living Wage.  

The pay rise follows bonuses that were awarded to store colleagues in April and December 2020, in recognition of their efforts throughout the pandemic. 

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland said: “I want to express my sincere thanks to every single Aldi colleague, who stepped up when it mattered and helped us succeed in our most important mission of all – feeding the nation.

“That is down to our people. Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day. It has never been more important to ensure that our colleagues are rewarded fully for their immense contribution during a challenging period for everyone.” 

This year will see Aldi open its 100th Scottish store in Scotland. Currently, the retailer has 96 Scottish stores stocking some of the finest and best value locally sourced food and drink. 

This year it will invest a further £20 million in four new stores, which include Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh, Thornybank Industrial Estate in Dalkeith, Portlethen Retail Park in Aberdeen and J24 Retail Park in Govan, while a new store in Gateside Commerce Park, Haddington will open to replace the existing store. 

To support this growth, Aldi is recruiting 335 store-level positions in Scotland this year. For the latest vacancies, please visit https://www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/.  

Lidl by Lidl: German discounter is cheapest supermarket of 2020

Lidl has narrowly beaten Aldi to be named the cheapest supermarket of 2020, according to Which? analysis.

The consumer champion tracked the price of 45 popular branded and own-label products such as Hovis bread, Knorr stock cubes and free-range eggs in eight major supermarkets for at least 100 days between January and December 2020. 

In a year when saving money became more important than ever for many households, Which? calculated the average price of each item over the year and the total average cost of all 45 items in the trolley. Lidl was the cheapest, with the basket costing £42.67 on average. 

Aldi, where the same basket of items cost £43.01 on average, was the second cheapest – with just 34p separating the German rivals

In recent years, Aldi and Lidl have significantly grown their market share in the UK, but this is the first time they have been included in Which?’s annual study, which now includes own-label items as well as branded ones.

Asda was the third-cheapest supermarket with the same basket of items costing £48.71 on average, however this is still over £5 more than Aldi and Lidl. 

Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket in 2020. The average cost of the 45 items on Which?’s shopping list was £68.69, around 60 per cent (£26.02) more than a similar shop at Lidl. 

Which? found there were stark price differences between popular own-label products at Waitrose and Lidl. For example, Waitrose’s own-label cooked and peeled cold water prawns would set customers back £4.60 on average, however the equivalent at Lidl only cost £1.99. 

Waitrose’s own-label six pack of very large free-range eggs would cost customers £2.47 on average, whereas a similar product is almost half the price – £1.27 – at Lidl. 

Ocado was the second most expensive supermarket of 2020 (£66.83), while Sainsbury’s was the third-priciest retailer (£56.38). Asda (£48.71), Morrisons (£53.61) and Tesco (£53.30), as well as the discounters, all came in cheaper.

The pandemic caused a huge upheaval for supermarkets in 2020, as they had to adapt quickly to supply issues caused by panic buying, staff absences in stores and further up the supply chain, and expanding online delivery services. 

Neither Aldi nor Lidl offer a full delivery service and would have struggled to compete with supermarkets who ramped up their delivery service at the start of the pandemic, however Aldi offered food parcels for home delivery to help vulnerable people get essential goods. 

Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said: ““Many households have been under financial pressure due to the pandemic, so getting value for money on their weekly shop has become more important than ever.

“Our analysis shows that customers do not have pay over the odds for their groceries. 

“Customers looking to save money this new year and cut down on the cost of their weekly shop should consider shopping around for the best prices.”

SupermarketAverage cost of trolley (45 items)
Lidl£42.67
Aldi£43.01
Asda£48.71
Tesco£53.30
Morrisons£53.61
Sainsbury’s£56.38
Ocado£66.83
Waitrose£68.69

Which? also conducts a monthly price analysis for all the major supermarkets. In 2020 Aldi was the cheapest supermarket for six out of the eight months it was included in the price analysis, whereas Lidl was the cheapest supermarket twice.

However, Lidl narrowly beat Aldi to be crowned cheapest supermarket of the year as the methodologies differed. For the monthly price analysis, Which? tracks the price of a range of products, which vary each month, and uses an average to find the cheapest supermarket for the month.

To determine the cheapest supermarket of the year, Which? tracked a selection of 45 items available for at least 100 days in 2020 and added the individual averages.

Morrisons to pay £10 per hour

– All supermarket colleagues to receive at least £10 an hour from April –

– First major UK supermarket to reach key pay milestone – 

Morrisons is today announcing a new pay deal for its store colleagues, becoming the first UK supermarket group to guarantee pay of at least £10 an hour.

The new deal will start in April and will mean a significant pay increase for nearly 96,000 Morrisons colleagues. For the majority of colleagues the pay increase is approximately 9%. 

Morrisons minimum hourly pay currently stands at £9.20 an hour***. Today’s announcement means that since 2015, Morrisons pay has increased by over 46%. 

Three quarters of the costs of the increase will be met by direct payroll investment and a quarter by changing the discretionary annual colleague bonus scheme. Having listened hard to colleagues, they said they would prefer to have a guaranteed amount in their hourly rate and receive it more regularly. So, the annual budget for the discretionary bonus scheme is being rolled into colleagues’ hourly rate, which is paid every four weeks. 

David Potts, Morrisons CEO, said: “It’s great to be able to say that in the UK from April this year, if you work at Morrisons supermarkets, you will earn at least £10 an hour. It’s a symbolic and important milestone that represents another step in rewarding the incredibly important work that our colleagues do up and down the country. 

“Over the last year we have seen renewed and widespread appreciation in the UK for our colleagues who have had an incredibly tough 2020, working tirelessly so Britain could eat well and shop safely throughout the pandemic. Morrisons colleagues have earned their status as key workers, and this pay increase, many times over.” 

Joanne McGuinness, Usdaw National Officer, said: “The new consolidated hourly rate is now the leading rate of the major supermarkets, which is paid every hour and removes the uncertainty of a bonus payment.

“It is a big step forward, shows that Morrisons is prepared to invest in the staff to help grow the business and I hope that the deal is supported by our members in the ballot. 

“It’s been a tough time for food retail staff who have worked throughout the pandemic in difficult circumstances. They provide the essential service of keeping the nation fed and deserve our support, respect and appreciation. Most of all they deserve decent pay and this offer is a welcome boost.” 

The pay deal announced today is subject to a ballot opening on 27 January 2021. 

Supermarkup!

Which? reveals the grocery products that you could be paying too much for

Shoppers who regularly buy Persil laundry detergent, Andrex toilet paper and Kenco Millicano coffee could be overpaying by up to £3 per item as a new Which? investigation reveals the shocking price differences between supermarkets on popular products.

The consumer champion analysed thousands of prices across six months at major UK supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – including both own label and branded items. 

Which? experts found big variations in the price of the same branded groceries at different supermarkets. The pricing analysis also showed how prices on some items fluctuate dramatically even at the same supermarket chain – exposing one of the most common tricks of supermarket pricing. 

Persil non-biological washing liquid had the biggest price difference of any branded product in the investigation, and was on average £2.98 more at Morrisons than at Lidl. 

Andrex Supreme Quilts toilet tissue had the second biggest average price difference, costing £2.60 more at Waitrose than at Morrisons, which offered the cheapest average price.

Waitrose and Ocado were the most expensive on average for Kenco Millicano coffee, which was £2.06 less on average at Aldi. Waitrose also charged the most for Hellmann’s Real Squeezy Mayonnaise, which was £1.87 less at Sainsbury’s, and PG Tips Pyramid Tea Bags, which were £1.87 less at Asda.

Out of all the products Which? included in its pricing analysis, Persil non-bio also had the biggest price variation within the same supermarket chain – alternating fairly regularly between £5 and £10 at Morrisons across the six month period. Which? found the price also varied at several other supermarkets – by as much as £4 at Tesco, £3.50 at Asda and £3 at Ocado.  

Other products that varied significantly at the same retailer included PG Tips Pyramid tea bags, which fluctuated by £2.77 at Ocado, and Twinings English Breakfast and Twinings Every Day Tea Bags, which both changed by £2.65 at Sainsbury’s. Andrex Supreme Quilts toilet tissue paper fluctuated by £2.65 at Waitrose.

By dropping a price on a popular item and advertising it as a discount before raising it for a short while and then dropping it again, supermarkets give the illusion that shoppers are making a saving. In reality, shoppers buying at the higher price are paying more than they should to compensate for the times the price is lower.

When it came to non-branded items, Which? found price differences that were even more stark. Own-brand prawns were on average £3.28 more at Ocado and Waitrose than at Aldi – the biggest price difference across supermarkets of any product in Which?’s investigation. 

There were also yawning gaps between the supermarkets on prices for own-label salmon fillets which varied by £2.26 on average between Waitrose and Aldi. 

Olive oil varied by £1.81 between Ocado and Waitrose where the price was the same, and Aldi. Beef sirloin steak was around £1.72 more at Ocado than Lidl and Aldi where the price was also the same. Similarly an equivalent ready meal of chicken korma with pilau rice was £1.51 more at Ocado than at Aldi and Lidl, where the price was also the same.

While Which? used experts to ensure that the own-brand products were as comparable as possible based on a range of factors including weight, quality and other industry data, they will inevitably differ in terms of quality, freshness, and taste across different supermarkets. 

Quality, range, customer service, store layout and convenience are also important factors, and may lead some consumers to choose a more expensive supermarket for their weekly shop. 

Despite often being the most expensive supermarket, Waitrose topped Which?’s annual supermarket survey. Customers gave the high-end store full marks for the appearance of its stores and range of products although perhaps unsurprisingly it did not do well for value for money. 

Meanwhile, despite low scores on product range and store appearance, Aldi was also rated highly in Which?’s survey by shoppers who value low prices.

For shoppers watching their purse strings, Which? recommends keeping an eye out for fluctuating prices and dodgy special offers. 

Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said: “While prices will inevitably vary between different supermarkets, shoppers might be shocked to see that they could be overpaying by such significant margins for exactly the same products.

“Most supermarkets use some sneaky pricing tactics from time to time, so pay attention to the prices of your favourite products – and don’t assume you’re getting a good deal just because the item is on offer.”

HALF of Scots felt that their trips to the supermarket were vital to combating isolation during lockdown

From our bellies, to our minds, to our hearts: The role of the UK’s supermarkets through COVID-19

Scotland’s new ‘five-tier’ lockdown system comes into effect tomorrow, with each of the country’s 32 local authorities falling into Levels 0 to 4, depending on coronavirus infection rates.

In light of the increase in localised lockdowns due to surging Coronavirus cases, the role of grocers and supermarkets has now become more clear than ever. Not only have they been integral in providing us all with basic living necessities, they have also played a hugely important role when it comes to our mental health. 

The national lockdown in March saw millions of people confined to their homes, fearful of any contact with other people. However, these fears also came with elements of cabin fever as people yearned to once again feel a sense of normal.

For many, the only time this could be achieved was through their weekly shop; a time they were able to (safely) socialise, and gain a glimpse of normality amid the unforeseen circumstances brought about by the pandemic.

In light of this, technology pioneers Ubamarket found that 50% of Scots believed their weekly shop to the supermarket was vital to combating the isolation they were feeling during lockdown. As we experience a tightening of restrictions once again, the centrality of supermarkets in society has now become overwhelmingly clear, with many once again finding solace in their supermarket. 

Now, it is more important than ever that supermarkets and the retail sector alike are able to adapt to the post-Coronavirus climate.

According to many industry commentators, retail technology holds the key to helping supermarkets and retailers transition into the new future of retail as designed by Coronavirus. The implementation of end-to-end tech solutions which help supermarkets to streamline and modernise the shopping experience in keeping with the changing retail landscape. 

Will Broome, CEO and Founder of Ubamarket, discusses the integral role of supermarkets amid the Coronavirus crisis, and how technology can transform the current in-store offering to ensure long-term success and customer satisfaction:

“Localised lockdowns have highlighted exactly how important local shops and supermarkets are to consumers across the country. An essential presence, our nation’s shop keepers are constantly at the front line, providing everyone with their basic necessities.

“Their presence is absolutely paramount in our efforts to combat the difficulties brought about by the virus, and with half of Scots combating isolation and finding much-needed relief when doing their weekly shop, the centrality of supermarkets has never been clearer.  

“Now, in order to sustain this, the world of retail needs to evolve and adapt to the new Coronavirus climate, moving away from the existing problems the sector has. The constantly changing store layouts, the outdated queues and checkouts, and the lack of communication between supermarkets and their customers are just some of the issues that COVID-19 has made very clear. 

Retail tech offers an all-encompassing solution; in Ubamarket’s case in the form of a simple app; which can put consumers in control, doing away with the need for time-consuming queues, unhygienic checkouts, and confusion about where products are and whether they are in stock.

“In a tech-supported store, customers can simply check ahead of time which products are in stock, be guided to their exact location with an aisle sat-nav, and then simply scan and pay in-app, rather than having to waste time and risk potentially dangerous exposure in queues or tills.

“I for one am extremely interested to see how the retail landscape in the UK will emerge from the Coronavirus crisis, but if one thing is certain, it is the capability of retail technology to help us build the future of retail that we would like to see.”

Morrisons offers Teachers and School Staff 10% off all groceries

From this Monday (Nov 2nd), all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount* on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide.

Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to half a million teachers** and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Primary, secondary, private and special educational school teachers can all claim the discount, as well as all teaching assistants, catering staff, dinner ladies, caretakers, cleaners and school office staff.

These groups will also be able to participate in a dedicated shopping hour alongside NHS workers from 6am-7am (Mon-Sat) before stores open to other customers.***

Morrisons also offers a 10% discount for NHS staff which was introduced in April.

From this Monday, all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide. Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to the half a million teachers and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive said: “Teachers and school staff are facing many challenges and the education of our children has never been more important. This discount is our way of saying thank you as they continue to care for and educate our kids.”

Teachers and school staff can claim the 10% discount on their groceries by presenting their school photo ID card at the till in any of Morrisons 498 stores from Monday 2 November.

*The 10% discount cannot be used with a purchase of alcohol, drugs, pharmaceutical products, infant milk or formula, tobacco and is not available online.

Full terms and conditions here https://my.morrisons.com/teachers

**https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england

*** The special hour of shopping also applies in most stores on a Sunday from 9am

Scottish Autism: making supermarkets accessible

Thank you to everyone who sent us suggestions on how to improve the supermarket shopping experience for autistic customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With new queuing rules and social distancing in place as a result of the pandemic, our experience of supermarket shopping has changed significantly.

As part of our My Five campaign, we aim to help retail and hospitality businesses become more welcoming and accessible to autistic people and their families. We have collated the five most commonly suggested themes on adjustments supermarkets can make and developed guidance for them below. We are sharing this directly with supermarkets too.

With lockdown restrictions beginning to ease you may be visiting more than supermarkets in the coming weeks and months.

Learn how you could make these visits a more positive experience and join Gavin Neate, Founder and CEO of the WelcoMe app, for a live webinar and Q&A session today at 12 noon on our Facebook page.

The WelcoMe app aims to support autistic and disabled people to have a positive experience when visiting shops and others venues. #MyFive #Autism #COVID19

#Supermarkets4Change: youth campaign on supermarket access

Youth-led campaign aims to raise awareness of young carers to supermarkets during lockdown

Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament have started a campaign on the issue of supermarket access for young carers and young adult carers during this Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

This campaign has been set up by Ilse Cuthbertson MSYP, Carers Trust Scotland and Aaran McDonald MSYP, Cunninghame South.

During lockdown, a significant and recurring issue raised by young carers is that some are still not getting access to supermarkets during protected hours set aside for vulnerable groups.

Young carers are facing age discrimination and refusal to access if they are accompanied by family members. 

One young person got in touch with their MSYP, and said: “After waiting in the long queue, a member of staff said they were only allowing 2 people into the store per family. After explaining I am a young carer, the staff member still couldn’t understand why there needed to be two carers. 

“I had to further explain my caring responsibilities for my brother and mum before the member of staff finally allowed us in. This was an emotional and frustrating situation and no young carer should need to go through this.”

There is also inconsistency of messaging by supermarkets across the UK, and even from store to store.  Furthermore, a number of carers are struggling to get access to online shopping or difficulty meeting the minimum expenditure for online shopping. This issue also intertwines with carer identification.

#Supermarkets4Change aims to raise awareness of unpaid carers with local supermarkets and to include these young people in the protected hours set aside for vulnerable groups.

MSYPs have written to local supermarket stores on behalf of their constituents, raising awareness of who young carers are, and why it is important to include these young people in dedicated shopping times.

Ilse Cuthbertson, MSYP and Aaran McDonald, MSYP said: “We wanted to start #Supermarkets4Change as young carers and young adult carers have been approaching us due to the lack of understanding within supermarkets.

“We have learnt that this is not just an issue locally but nationally. This is an extremely important issue right now. We hope that supermarkets will start to understand the role that a young carer or young adult carer has.”

This campaign also aims to empower young people to take action. MSYPs have created a template letter and are sharing this with as many young people as possible.

If a young person is aware of this issue in their local community, they can use this template to write to the local store manager. Young people are encouraged to share this on social media using the hashtag #Supermarkets4Change so we can raise greater awareness!

Young people can also get in touch with Ilse and Aaran for support on this:

Keep up to date with the campaign on social media: @ReleaseCap/ @CarersTrustScot/ @ilsecmsyp / @MSYPAaran/ #Supermarkets4Change

Aldi provides face masks for all store colleagues

Aldi will be providing the option of face masks to all its store-based colleagues to further support their safety as they continue to feed the nation.

This move is in addition to the previously announced provision of gloves and clear screens that are being installed at more than 7,000 checkouts. Colleagues can also now access the Government’s Covid-19 testing programme for critical workers.

Support for vulnerable and self-isolating customers

Aldi has also introduced a voucher scheme to make it easier for volunteers to buy food on behalf of the vulnerable and those self-isolating. The vouchers are available to buy on a new Aldi voucher website vouchers.aldi.co.uk.

Once purchased, the vouchers can be posted to any address in the UK so they can be given to volunteers, friends or family members to shop on behalf of vulnerable people.

Vouchers are available in denominations of £5.00 and £10.00 with no additional costs to customers for postage.

Additional support for British producers

Aldi has agreed to buy additional volumes of British beef to support farmers faced with surplus product due to closures of restaurants and catering businesses.

It is selling 21-day matured British rump steak (£8.99, 900g) as a Specialbuy across its 877 UK stores.

Aldi is the UK’s fastest-growing fresh meat retailer and has reaffirmed its commitment to support the beef farming sector by spot buying additional volume where possible. The current Specialbuy alone consists of over 130,000 British rump steaks.

It is also helping horticultural suppliers by increasing orders of Spring plants that would otherwise be disposed of because of the closure of their normal routes to market.

Aldi has agreed to sell over 200,000 Spring Perennials from its long-term partner Lovania Nurseries, who have worked with Aldi for over 20 years.

Lovania have also benefitted from Aldi’s small supplier payment scheme, which was recently extended to guarantee immediate payments for all suppliers with a turnover of less than £1m. This is benefitting over 3,000 Aldi suppliers during this difficult period.