Brits are showing more interest in ‘food to go’ style meals as sale of such containers are on the rise, shows recent data from a supermarket, as shoppers continue to cut costs during the winter period.
According to recent data from Waitrose and its parent company John Lewis, the UK is turning to DIY lunches in a bid to make money go further amid the cost-of-living crisis. Searches for ‘lunchboxes’ has surged by 17 per cent in the past week alone, while shoppers move towards hot ‘food to go’ meal options amid the winter months, stated the supermarket.
Soups have become increasingly popular among customers for lunchtime meal options with searches for ‘Sweet Potato & Chickpea Soup’ soaring by 186 per cent and ‘Simple Vegetable Soup’ up 49 per cent.
Looking to keep food warm throughout the day, sales of food flasks at John Lewis have increased by 22 per cent compared to the same time in 2021. The upmarket retailers research also found a rise in popularity for travel mugs, up 7 per cent since the same period last year.
“As cost of living concerns continue, our customers are clearly looking for ways to economise and DIY lunches are clearly growing in popularity,” John Lewis cookshop merchandiser, Pamela Pergolesi said.
Waitrose’s data comes days after a market report stated that multiples are the clear winner in UK’s food-to-go. This aligns with consumers’ continued search for value, with the need for ‘something not too expensive’ continuing to rise strongly.
In the last 12 weeks, multiples, with their more affordable food-to-go offer, showed a steady and significant growth (+24 per cent in the latest 12 weeks). Other retail channels – convenience stores (+7 per cent), discounters (+6 per cent) and forecourts (+9 per cent) are also all outperforming the total market.
Acknowledging the devastating impact of rising retail crime, Prime minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday (11) reiterated the action his government is taking to tackle the problem.
Responding to a question from Labour politician Kirith Entwistle in the House of Commons, Starmer said. "I have spoken to many who work in our shops who are very concerned about shoplifting. It went out of control because of the approach taken by the previous Government.
"We are bringing it under control. It is not low level; it has a huge impact on other customers and a particular impact on staff working in supermarkets.
"That is why we are dedicating funding to train police and retailers and to support specialist analyst teams to crack down on the gangs that are targeting retailers."
Welcoming the Starmer's show of empathy towards retailers, retail trade union Usdaw General secretary Paddy Lillis said, “Keir Starmer’s response shows that we have seen a complete change in the government response, under Labour, to a significant increase in theft from shops, which has doubled since the pandemic and risen by 29 per cent in the last twelve months.
"This contrasts with 14 years of the Conservatives refusing to support the calls from Usdaw and many major retailers for significant action.
“We are pleased that the new Labour Government announced a Crime and Policing Bill in the King’s Speech. This new legislation will deliver a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; end the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; along with introducing Respect Orders for repeat offenders.
"The Chancellor announced in the Budget funding to tackle the organised criminals responsible for the increase in shoplifting, as Keir Starmer highlighted.
"Last week, the Prime Minister announced funding for 13,000 more uniformed police officers, patrolling our communities and high street. It is our hope that these new measures will help give shop workers the respect they deserve.”
East of England Co-op on Thursday announced the appointment of Andy Rigby as acting chief executive for a minimum of 12 months.
Rigby joined the East of England Co-op in early 2022 as chief operations officer and has over 40 years’ leadership experience in senior executive roles across a range of formats in the UK, EU and international markets.
“Andy has proven himself to be a force for good in many ways for our Society in the time he has been with us; we welcome his appointment as we continue on our journey together to make a bigger difference in our communities and return to sustainable profit,” Joy Burnford, president of the East of England Co-op, said.
Rigby commented: “It is an honour to lead the East of England Co-op on our exciting journey which will continue at pace. Our focus remains on our customers, our colleagues, our members and our communities who we take great pride in supporting and serving, now and in the future.
“I’d like to thank our 3,000 incredible colleagues who continue to work so hard for our co-op and our Board too for their continued support, I’m excited and proud to continue to work closely with them to deliver our strategy. We’ve come a long way in a short-time and we have lots to be excited about.”
East of England Co-op Food store in Woolpit
Meanwhile, the regional retailer has also re-opened its Woolpit store after being refurbished as part of a wider £5 million investment by the retailer, including upgrades to the sustainability and food-to-go offering of its stores.
The refurbishments, which form part of the East of England Co-op’s portfolio reshape, improve the stores’ member and customer experience alongside their environmental impact with new eco-friendly refrigeration units.
The Woolpit store, on The Street, reopens with a larger store footprint, the East of England Co-op's much-loved serve behind in-store bakery, a larger chilled range and brand-new self-service checkouts.
This is the final refurbishment of 2024 and forms part of the retailer’s wider refurbishment of a total of 12 stores across the East of England which began in August.
“This investment in Woolpit has allowed us to enhance our member and customer offering through upgrades to store sustainability and improved shopping experience. This is part of our commitment to continue supporting the local communities these stores serve by providing quality products and exceptional customer service,” Rigby said.
“We want to do everything we can to minimise our environmental impact, which is why we’re placing a large emphasis on the stores’ sustainability throughout these refurbishments. These are crucial upgrades as we continue to invest in and reshape our wider portfolio.”
The East of England Co-op is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia with food stores, travel branches and local funeral service branches across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
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Tabrez Hussain, co-owner of LA Foods being presented with a trophy, in recognition of Henderson Technology’s 1,000th installation of EDGEPoS at the Uxbridge Road store
Henderson Technology has announced the 1,000th installation of its innovative EPOS system, EDGEPoS, at LA Foods on Uxbridge Road, London.
This milestone highlights the growing popularity and success of EDGEPoS, which was first piloted in 2011 and has since evolved into one of the most powerful and user friendly EPOS systems globally.
LA Foods, co-owned by Tabrez Hussain and his family, has a long retail history dating back to 1990 when his father established the business. Since the late 2000s, Tabrez and his brothers have expanded the company, which now operates 13 stores. The Uxbridge Road location, home to the 1,000th EDGEPoS installation, serves a diverse customer base and is dedicated to staying ahead of consumer trends.
The decision to implement EDGEPoS across all 13 stores was an easy decision for the business to make.
Tabrez Hussain said, “We chose EDGEPoS because we wanted a system that could make our store operations more streamlined and automated. The self-checkouts, suggested ordering, and electronic shelf labels (ESELs) were particularly appealing, and while we haven’t yet rolled out ESELs, we are excited about their potential.”
Since adopting EDGEPoS, LA Foods has witnessed significant improvements in operational efficiency. Automated ordering has freed up staff time for essential tasks like stock taking, ensuring accurate stock values and operational activities. “Features like automated ordering save time we can now spend on other tasks, such as regular stock takes,” Tabrez explained. “The reduction printers and digital handsets have also been invaluable additions.”
With a focus on convenience, EDGEPoS has transformed the shopping experience at LA Foods. From seamless transactions at reliable tills to maintaining consistent stock levels, the system has made shopping quicker and more satisfying for customers.
Tabrez added: “It’s reassuring to know that Henderson Technology has a strong foundation and that we are part of a large network of users. It gives us confidence in their long term support and future advancements.”
Darren Nickels, Retail Operations Director at Henderson Technology, said: “Reaching the 1,000th installation is a tremendous achievement, and we are thrilled that LA Foods is the business to mark this milestone. We are excited for their future and proud they chose EDGEPoS to drive their operations forward. It’s retailers like LA Foods that inspire us to continue innovating and delivering solutions tailored to their needs.”
For LA Foods, EDGEPoS aligns seamlessly with their business goals. “EDGEPoS has been transformative for our business, enabling us to streamline operations and improve efficiency while keeping up with modern retail trends,” Tabrez concluded. “It’s a robust system that aligns perfectly with our growth goals and gives us confidence in the future.”
Henderson Technology has established itself as a leader in the EPOS market, known for continuous innovation and partnerships. The EDGEPoS system, developed ‘by retailers for retailers’, is now one of the most feature rich and powerful systems globally. The company’s dedicated research and development team prioritises retailer feedback, ensuring the system evolves to meet the changing demands of the retail industry.
On average, each of the 5.5 million small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the UK lost almost £11,000 this year through fraud, claims a new research.
Commissioned by Mollie, the study found that over half (54 per cent) of UK SMBs were the victims of online fraud in 2024.
Specifically, more than half (58 per cent) dealt with phishing scams in the past 12 months, where scammers pretended to be trusted companies to steal their personal information through email. Additionally, 42 per cent dealt with refund fraud, where customers manipulated refund policies to obtain reimbursements for products or services they were not entitled to.
Similarly, three in ten (30 per cent) said they experienced attempts at account takeovers, where unauthorized parties tried to gain access to their online business accounts. Additionally, a quarter (26 per cent) experienced chargebacks on completely legitimate transactions, and over two in ten (23 per cent) faced carding attacks, where stolen cards were tested at checkout, leading to spikes in failed transactions.
In addition to the financial toll, online fraud is impacting the productivity of small businesses. Mollie’s research found that they spend an average of 15 days—or 120 hours—each year managing and mitigating fraud-related issues. This time commitment diverts resources from core business operations, further straining already limited budgets.
Richard Wivell, Marketing Manager at Nemesis Now, said, "Experiencing gateway attacks was a costly and stressful ordeal for our business. We dealt with fake orders, refunded fraudulent payments, and worked overtime with developers to manage thousands of malicious requests.
"Unfortunately, the lack of urgency from our previous provider forced us to take matters into our own hands working with our trusted web development agency to identify vulnerabilities and blocking attacks.”
Dave Smallwood, UK Managing Director of Mollie, said, “As the backbone of the UK economy, it’s crucial that UK SMBs –especially e-commerce ones– are equipped with practical solutions to manage their money and fight fraud effectively. Many small businesses lack the resources to cover a single fraudulent incident, and without support and action, we risk stifling business innovation and growth.
"Fighting fraudulent activity is taking resources away from day-to-day business operations, and we need this to change. We need to provide businesses large and small with access to the support needed to safeguard against increasingly sophisticated threats so they can focus on the job at hand."
Britain's economy shrank for the second consecutive month in October, official data showed Friday, dealing a blow to the Labour government that has made economic growth a priority.
Gross domestic product fell 0.1 per cent in October compared with September, when output declined by the same amount, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The decline was unexpected by analysts, who had estimated that the economy would grow slightly.
"The figures this month are disappointing," said chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose first budget in October featured big tax increases on businesses.
"We have put in place policies to deliver long-term economic growth," she added.
Analysts have attributed part of the decline to uncertainty after the Labour government warned of "tough" measures in its budget at the end of October.
ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said that "oil and gas extraction, pubs and restaurants and retail all had weak months".
Despite this, "the economy still grew a little over the last three months as a whole", she said.
Alongside tax increases in the budget, prime minister Keir Starmer's government announced plans for higher borrowing that it said would be invested in infrastructure projects to help drive economic growth.
Against the backdrop of weak growth, the Bank of England is set to decide next week whether it will cut interest rates again.
In November, the central bank trimmed borrowing costs by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent.