Europe news & analysis

The Finnish retailer has reported its full year results for 2012, announcing group sales of €9.7bn, up 2.4% year-on-year, and appears to have arrested the decline in operating profit in Q4. Grocery business delivers growth Kesko's grocery sales at K-Food, Kespro, and other grocery banners grew by 2.2% in Q4 and 3.1% for the full year, reaching €4.3bn in 2012. Sales of Pirkka  private label ...

Booths, the upmarket retailer based predominantly in the North West of England is to revamp its wine department. Revamped own-label The retailer has signalled it is going to change the look and feel of its wine offer by adding tasting tables and new merchandising, whilst also revamping its own-label wine across its 28 stores. Booths is keen to keep the pressure on rivals Majestic Wine ...

The latest monthly release from the British Retail Consortium Retail Sales Monitor indicates that UK retail sales grew by 3% in January 2013, the highest level of growth since September 2012.  Like-for-like growth was 1.9%, the highest rate of uplift for 13 months.  While January 2012 presents something of a soft comparative, this year's performance was in spite of extensive disruption of normal s...

Tesco is reported to be developing a new free online TV service using the Clubcard TV brand. Free TV and movie service According to The Grocer, Tesco has built a website that would give free  online access to thousands of TV shows and a regularly updated selection of movies. The website uses the caption "The home of free movies and TV for all the family" and will in future offer personalis...

Morrisons has acquired seven former Jessops stores for its growing M Local format 50 new stores this year The retailer has today announced it has acquired seven former Jessops stores from administrators which are expected to open under the M local banner.  Morrisons has reported its intention to open 50 new M Local stores this year, highlighting the strategic focus the retailer is placing on...

Edeka has launched a baby food private label range, according to German press reports. Premium pricing for 30-strong range The SunSan range of 30 organic products has been introduced by Edeka's  regional operators Minden-Hannover and Südwest, according to Lebensmittel Zeitung.  They are priced at around one euro less than the leading baby food brand. Opportunities for suppliers to deve...

Russian retailer, Maria-Ra, has announced its results for 2012 and is confident about the forthcoming year 32.7% revenue increase Maria-Ra has reported sales of RUB 40.8bn for 2012 which represents a 32.7% increase compared to last year. Consumer traffic also increased by 1.1% and the average basket spend grew by 8.3%. The retailer opened 132 new stores over the year, bringing its total s...

Waitrose has announced Jackie Wharton as the new convenience director, replacing Diana Hunter. 15 years experience at Waitrose Following the announcement of Diana Hunter leaving to take up the role of chief executive of Bargain Booze, Waitrose has today announced  Jackie Wharton as its new convenience director.  Wharton has worked at Waitrose for 15 years, most recently as director of c...

With online, convenience and discount becoming ever more popular channels for shoppers, we explore how retailers are working to boost sales through large format stores.  In the year to April 2013, we expect sales through large format stores (25,000 sq ft and over) to grow by 0.7%, far below the 2.9% for the grocery market as a whole. Shoppers increasingly turning to alternative channels and the ...

Sainsbury's is to launch "What's Cooking? From the Sainsbury's Kitchen,"   a daily lunchtime cookery show on Channel 4. Recipes for all budgets and tastes The programme will show viewers how to prepare dishes from scratch ingredients that "suit every budget and taste" and provide a high profile opportunity to showcase Sainsbury's products alongside other ingredients. The programme will be pr...