Tag: supermarkets

Scotmid Leven Street wins Crime Prevention Retailer of the Year

Scotmid Coop’s Leven Street store in Edinburgh has been recognised as the Crime Prevention Retailer of the Year at The Convenience Awards 2025, for its proactive and innovative approach to tackling retail crime.

Faced with rising levels of theft, particularly of spirits, Scotmid took decisive action to protect its staff, customers, and business. Spirits were relocated behind the kiosk to mitigate theft risks, but to maintain customer convenience, the store introduced pictorial sleeves on the original shelves, allowing shoppers to browse the full range.

This strategic move led to a 40% reduction in spirit theft over 12 months, without impacting sales. Due to its success, this initiative has since been rolled out to other stores facing similar challenges.

Beyond product security, Scotmid has invested in cutting-edge crime prevention measures, including:

  • Online incident reporting – enabling staff to log thefts, attempted thefts, and antisocial behaviour directly to the Scotmid Security Support Team for immediate action.
  • Intelligence-driven Security Support Team – a dedicated unit that analyses incident reports, liaises with law enforcement, and prioritises security efforts based on real-time data.
  • Body-worn cameras – introduced in higher-risk stores, resulting in a 10% reduction in violent incidents and acting as a deterrent against repeat offenders.
  • Advanced CCTV analytics – being developed to identify suspicious activity in real-time and integrate with Scotmid’s central monitoring system, enhancing staff response capabilities.

Debbie MacDonald, Lead Profit Protection Manager at Scotmid, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award, which reflects the dedication of our teams in making our stores safer.

“By implementing smart, intelligence-led security measures, we have not only reduced crime but also created a safer environment for colleagues and customers. We remain committed to enhancing our crime prevention strategies to stay ahead of emerging threats.”

Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep returns to Edinburgh

Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep challenge is back again for another year, giving customers in Edinburgh the chance to raise funds for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).

The supermarket challenge, inspired by the legendary game show, is sure to add excitement to the weekly shopping trip. As well as fundraising, Edinburgh locals have the chance to take home their favourite items from Aldi’s store in Chesser.  

Launched in 2016, the supermarket challenge offers shoppers the chance to take part in a five-minute trolley dash, allowing them to gather as many Aldi favourites as they can within the timeframe. Once the time is up, the lucky shopper gets to take home the trolley full of goodies, while Aldi matches the cash value of the goods as a donation. 

Each year across Scotland CHAS supports over 500 babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions and their families. In 2025 every penny raised through Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep will go directly to CHAS, with £10,000 pledged in support. 

Edinburgh residents can apply for the Supermarket Sweep from Monday 24 March to Sunday 30 March 2025.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Our annual Supermarket Sweeps hold a special place in the Aldi calendar, donating over £50,000 to local charities since 2016. We’re very much looking forward to its return for another year and giving one lucky Edinburgh resident the chance to enjoy a truly unique supermarket experience. 

“CHAS is a charity very close to our hearts, which provides a truly invaluable lifeline for families across Scotland, offering specialist care and unwavering support during the most difficult moments imaginable. This year, Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep will be travelling all over Scotland, giving Aldi customers nationally a brilliant opportunity to raise funds for CHAS while shining a light on the incredible work the charity does.”  

Entry is free and customers can apply in-store or by emailing supermarketsweep@aldi.co.uk

Entrants must be available to take part in the sweep after stores close at 10pm on their chosen date.

Entrants must be over 18 years old to take part, and alcohol products are not included in the sweep. 

For more information about CHAS and how to support its work, visit https://www.chas.org.uk/

Aldi Scotland Announces CHAS as the Official Charity Partner for its 2025 Supermarket Sweep

Aldi Scotland has proudly announced Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) as the official charity partner of its long running and hugely popular Supermarket Sweep initiative for 2025. 

The much-loved event has named CHAS as the exclusive beneficiary, with funds raised helping to provide vital hospice care and support to children with life-shortening conditions across Scotland.

Launched in 2016, the supermarket challenge, inspired by the legendary game show, offers shoppers the chance to take part in a five-minute trolley dash, allowing them to gather as many Aldi favourites as they can within the timeframe. Once the time is up, the lucky shopper gets to take home the trolley full of goodies, while Aldi matches the cash value of the goods as a donation.

Each year across Scotland CHAS supports over 500 babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions and their families. In 2025 every penny raised through the initiative will go directly to CHAS, with £10,000 pledged in support. 

With ten Sweeps set to take place throughout the year, the partnership will have a real impact on CHAS’ vital services, providing palliative, respite, and end-of-life care at Rachel House in Kinross, Robin House in Balloch, and across all of Scotland through CHAS at Home.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director at Aldi Scotland, said: “CHAS provides an incredible lifeline for families across Scotland, offering specialist care and unwavering support during the most difficult moments imaginable. This is a charity very close to our hearts and we’re honoured to be partnering with them for our 2025 Supermarket Sweep.

“The annual initiative holds a special place in the Aldi calendar, donating over £50,000 to local charities since 2016, while offering loyal customers across Scotland the chance to take part in a truly unique supermarket experience.

“We hope this partnership will not only raise significant funds for the charity but also help to shine a light on the incredible impact CHAS has across Scotland.”

Rami Okasha, CHAS CEO, said: “Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep is a fantastic initiative that will not only help raise vital funds for our organisation but hopefully highlight the reality faced by families caring for a child with a life-shortening condition.

“At CHAS, we provide unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys. We are dedicated to ensuring that no family in Scotland faces the death of their child alone.

“This partnership will help us continue to deliver expert care – whether in our hospices, in hospitals, or at home – so that families can make the most of every precious moment together.”

Aldi Scotland’s 2025 Supermarket Sweep will kick off at Aldi’s Chesser store in Edinburgh, with applications set to open on 24 March. Further locations and dates will be announced in due course.

For more information about CHAS and how to support its work, visit:

 https://www.chas.org.uk/

You can find your nearest Aldi here. 

Aldi opens appplications for apprenticeship roles in Edinburgh

Aldi is looking to recruit over 500 new apprentices across the UK in 2025, including in Edinburgh and the Lothians.  

The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket is welcoming applications for its apprenticeship scheme, with opportunities now live across stores and warehouse roles.  

At Aldi, Store Apprentices can earn £8.61 per hour, rising to £12.07. Inside the M25, Store Apprentices can earn £8.84 per hour, rising to £12.72. Meanwhile, those in warehouse roles can earn up to £11.18 per hour.  

Successful applicants will be able to gain industry-recognised qualifications while they earn and will have access to a number of additional benefits, including a range of shopping discounts, a bike to work scheme, 28 days’ paid holiday (including bank holidays) and a mortgage advice option where colleagues can seek free mortgage advice and access mortgage education.  

Aldi is also one of the only UK supermarkets to offer paid breaks. 

Lisa Murphy, Training and Development Director at Aldi UK, said: “We have found so many hard-working and ambitious people through our apprenticeship scheme over the years, and we’re excited to welcome the next intake of individuals to join our Aldi community. 

“Through the scheme, candidates will gain valuable transferable skills, become experts in their roles, and receive industry-leading pay at one of the UK’s top grocery retailers.  

“We’re keen to attract individuals from all backgrounds, and we really encourage anyone who is interested to apply, no matter your level of experience.” 

Those interested in applying for the apprenticeship scheme with Aldi can visit www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/early-careers/apprenticeships

Edinburgh shoppers show that healthy eating is more than a New Year’s resolution

Shoppers in Edinburgh are eating healthily to live healthily, according to the latest data from Tesco.

The supermarket giant has revealed the top 20 items bought by customers across the region, with a variety of fruit, veg and milk being the main favourites.

Included in the top 10 items bought by shoppers in Edinburgh are milk, bananas, red peppers and avocados.

Tesco’s figures coincide with its recently published Clubcard Unpacked review, which analyses the shopping habits of its Clubcard users.

It shows the strong preference for fresh, locally sourced items among Edinburgh’s residents.

Oonagh Turnbull, Head of Health and Sustainable Diet Campaigns, said: “The trend in what people in Edinburgh are buying most of at our stores has taken more of a turn towards the healthy option.

“Nutrition has become important for customers, with the majority of them putting an emphasis on good-quality fruit and vegetables.

“A lot of this is down to people having an enthusiasm for home-cooked meals and for experimenting with what they prepare in the kitchen.”

Also included in the top 20 items bought by shoppers in Edinburgh are red grapes, raspberries, blueberries and free range eggs.

Oonagh added: “We’re all aware that eating a healthy diet can help to reduce our risk of developing coronary heart disease and stop us from gaining too much weight.

“That’s why we at Tesco are always keen to promote the understanding that having a balance of different foods to provide all the nutrients your body needs is key when it comes to healthy living.”

The top 20 items bought at Tesco stores in Edinburgh are:

  • Tesco British Semi Skimmed Milk 2.272L, 4 Pints
  • Banana Each (C)
  • Tesco Whole Cucumber Each
  • Tesco British Whole Milk 2.272L, 4 Pints
  • Tesco British Semi Skimmed Milk 1.13L, 2 Pints
  • Tesco Red Peppers Each
  • Tesco Broccoli 375G
  • Tesco Bunched Spring Onions 100G
  • Tesco Large Free Range Eggs 6 Pack
  • Tesco Ready To Eat Large Avocados Each
  • Tesco Medium Free Range Eggs 6 Pack
  • Tesco Ripe Bananas 5 Pack
  • Tesco Red Seedless Grapes 500G
  • Tesco Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler Pack 600G
  • Tesco Raspberries 150G
  • Tesco Sweet Vine Ripened Tomatoes 255G
  • Tesco Small Bananas 6 Pack
  • Tesco Lemons Each
  • Tesco Strawberries 400G
  • Tesco Blueberries 150G

Aldi donates over 14,000 meals to Edinburgh and Lothian charities over festive period

Aldi stores in Edinburgh and the Lothians donated 14,639 meals to those in need over the recent festive period.

The UK’s fourth largest supermarket teamed up with local good causes across the UK to donate a range of fresh and chilled foods from its stores after closing early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Research from Neighbourly, the community giving platform that works with Aldi, found that 78% of the good causes it supports were more concerned about meeting demand this Christmas, compared to the same time last year.

Additionally, 51% felt they would not be able to respond to every request for help due to capacity and funding.

The supermarket has also donated £25,000 to Neighbourly’s GoGive Christmas campaign to further support local charities across UK and Ireland.

Aldi has worked with Neighbourly since 2019 and provides surplus food from all of its UK stores to hundreds of charities across the country throughout the year.

Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “This Christmas we were proud to support so many incredible charities across the UK who provide essential support to those in need.

“The services provided by food banks are more important than ever over the festive period and we’re committed to ensuring those that rely on them have access to a wide range of high-quality foods.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, added: “We’re so grateful to have had Aldi’s support for another year.

“Christmas is one of the busiest periods for our charities and the donations from Aldi mean we can help even more people across the country who need that bit of extra support over the festive period.”

Shoppers can donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide.

Aldi also works with Company Shop Group, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, to redistribute surplus food from its Regional Distribution Centres. This year, it provided more than 2,000 free Christmas lunches to Company Shop’s award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop.

Edinburgh customers praised for bringing joy to children with donation of over 1,610 toys

Kind-hearted shoppers in Edinburgh have been thanked for contributing to the 125,000 toys donated to children in need during the run-up to Christmas.

Before the festive celebrations, the Tesco stores across Edinburgh called on shoppers to support a collection of toys so that families whose children would otherwise not receive a gift wouldn’t miss out on the big day.

People across the community responded enthusiastically to the campaign, with 1,610 of brand-new toys being gifted to Cash For Kids and Ferry Elves – bringing a smile to many children’s faces on Christmas Day.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: “We really can’t thank our customers enough for their kind contributions to this great cause.

“Throughout the year our stores give support to children and their community, and without fail local people support us in our efforts.

“So once again we are grateful to the people of Edinburgh for showing that the magic of Christmas is very much alive and well.

“They have made a great many children so happy at a time of year that can be difficult for some families, so thank you so much again for your support.”

The Toy Donation campaign ran in stores across the UK in December, with more than 125,000 items being given.

In addition to the toy collection, Tesco donated £25,000 to the Salvation Army to support its ongoing efforts in providing essential services and support to vulnerable families during the festive season.

Morrisons statement: System Issues

More Card customers to get 10% discount on whole shop

Today (Monday) we are experiencing some system issues which are affecting our More Card customers.

For More Card customers who have Morrisons Fivers to redeem, these will be done manually in store by colleagues. 

All our stores have now made the top 100 More Card prices the regular price – including the 10p veg deal, turkeys, spirits and champagne. 

And in addition we will give More Card customers an extra 10% off their entire shop as an apology.

VPZ partners with Morrisons to launch 10 new stores across the UK 

The tie-up will create up to 40 jobs and ‘make stop smoking services more accessible in communities across the country‘

VPZ, the UK’s leading vaping retailer, is set to open 10 new stores by December 2024 as part of a groundbreaking partnership with the supermarket chain Morrisons, with plans to expand further during 2025.  

The new in-store outlets will expand the brand’s presence in communities throughout the UK, with seven key locations in Leeds Hunslet, Birmingham Stirchley, Glenrothes, Peterhead, Darlington, Stratford and Grantham. 

The collaboration will also introduce a new innovative mobile pod concept for customer parking areas, with two planned for Nottingham and one in Rotheram. 

The partnership will drive positive change by making stop smoking services more accessible in communities throughout the country, whilst educating smokers on the benefits of more sustainable vaping products. 

The new sites will help expand and complement VPZ’s mission to help people on their journey to quit smoking by improving access to expert stop-smoking advice and education. 

VPZ stores offer a dedicated one-to-one service to help smokers quit. VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health and financial benefits of switching to vaping.  

Furthermore, as a part of their shared commitment to environmental responsibility, all new stores will include VPZ’s comprehensive recycling programme. The service is open to all vapers, as anyone can visit the new stores and dispose safely of their vaping devices or e-cigarettes. 

Greig Fowler, Director at VPZ, said: “Our partnership with Morrisons to open 10 new stores is a pivotal step in our mission to transform the health of our nation by empowering more people to become smoke-free. 

“I believe that together we will be making it easier for smokers to access the resources, help and education they need to quit smoking, while also offering a convenient and sustainable shopping experience.” 

He added: “We are looking forward to launching our new in-store locations, pod concepts and exploring further growth in 2025.” 

VPZ has recently voiced concerns that the newly announced vape tax increase will unfairly impact the most vulnerable and set back the UK’s 2030 smoke-free targets. As vaping remains one of the most effective methods to quit smoking, VPZ has warned that higher taxes on vaping products could discourage smokers from switching, undermining both health and financial benefits. 

VPZ also supports plans to ban disposable vapes across the UK and Scotland by June next year, however they have highlighted the rise of ‘Big Puff’ disposable vapes which threaten to bring a new youth vaping epidemic and even greater damage to the environment.  

The imported products are exploiting a loophole in regulations to create a new and larger single-use vaping product ahead of the disposables vape ban.  

Greig Fowler added: “These illegal ‘Big Puffs’ undermine our objectives and are poised to create a public health crisis with unregulated products flooding the marketplace.  

“At the current moment, data shows that more than ever there is a need for the Government to step in to support trading standards and local authorities to keep up with the scale of the ‘Big Puff‘ epidemic.  

“We urge for a better collaboration between the industry and regulatory bodies to address this arising issue promptly and ensure that these vapes do not flood the UK market even further and endanger the quit-smoking progress that has been achieved so far.” 

To date, Edinburgh-based VPZ has already helped over 1 million smokers in the UK quit since it was established in 2012. 

 

Aldi Scotland to sell Scottish-grown Nordmann Fir Christmas trees for less than £15

Aldi Scotland is set to sell the cheapest real Christmas trees this festive season, as it announces the return of its freshly cut Nordmann Fir trees, with prices starting from just £13.99.

The festive trees will be sprouting into stores from Thursday 21 November for medium trees, with large trees following on Sunday 24 November, offering customers a chance to get their hands on a fresh Christmas centrepiece as the countdown to Santa Claus ramps up.

Priced at £13.99 medium (5-6ft) or £19.99 large (6-7ft) trees, the hand-selected Nordmann Firs are available across Aldi’s 107 Scottish stores while stocks last.

Grown in the heart of Aberdeenshire by Lovania Nurseries, the Nordmann Fir trees are renowned for their glossy pines, strong branches and symmetrical shape, making them ideal for decorating with festive frills.

Sustainability is at the root of it all, with Lovania planting more than two trees for every tree harvested, ensuring these festive favourites are as environmentally friendly as they are beautiful.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Having proven a great hit in recent years, we’re excited to bring back our Scottish-grown Nordmann Fir Christmas trees this year and provide our customers with the cheapest real Christmas trees available.

“Christmas is an expensive time of year for families, so we’re proud to offer outstanding value on our products that allow our customers to get into the festive spirit without having to sacrifice on quality.”

Aldi recommends placing your tree in a bucket of water to keep it hydrated and letting the branches settle before decorating them with ornaments or baubles. It’s also best to keep trees away from radiators or any other heat source.

You can find your nearest Aldi here.

As part of its commitment to supporting customers this Christmas, Aldi Scotland is also assisting shoppers this year through its ‘Heidspace’ campaign, which offers handy tips and tricks on getting prepared for the festivities early, to ensure the day is as stress-free and merry as possible.  

Heidspace assets are all available to download for free from Aldi Scotland’s Instagram and Facebook, with more being added throughout the season.