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6 | The Grocer | 10 August 2019 Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk
Lidl is claiming a UK
supermarket first in sell-
ing reusable bags for
loose fruit and veg.
The new bags are on
sale in Lidl stores nation-
wide from today as an
alternative option to sin-
gle-use plastic fruit & veg
bags.
They fasten with a
drawstring and are made
from polyester. The price
is 69p for a pack of two
bags.
Lidl said it was a step
towards making all its
own-brand packaging
widely recyclable, reus-
able, refillable or renew-
able by 2025.
The bags were an
“affordable, reusable
alternative” to single-use
ones, “designed to give
customers a sustainable
choice and reduce plastic
use and waste in the long
term”, according to the
discounter.
Lidl claims
UK first with
reusable fruit
& veg bags
Sainsbury’s trial bays
include disruptor brandsSainsbury’s has
launched its first pitching
competition for its Taste
of the Future trial bays.
The aim is to help
the chain discover dis-
tinctive and innovative
brands as part of its drive
to offer customers some-
thing new and exclusive.
It will invite 15 short-
listed suppliers to pitch
to a panel of buyers
and members of the
Future Brands team at
Sainsbury’s Holborn HQ
on 21 August.
The deadline to sub-
mit entries for the pitch
process is 14 August.
Sainsbury’s calls for brands to
pitch for Taste of the Future
Successful entries will
secure a place on the
supermarket’s trial bay in
70 stores next January.
Sainsbury’s launched
Taste of the Future at the
end of June as the lat-
est phase in its Future
Brands programme,designed to identify
“distinctive” challenger
brands and help the
supermarket stand out
from its big four rivals.
It has supported
Beavertown, Tony’s
Chocolonely, The
Curators and Peter’s Yard
as well as NPD from sup-
pliers such as General
Mills and PepsiCo.
“We are very excited
to be launching our first-
ever pitching competi-
tion for our Taste of the
Future trial bay,” said
Sainsbury’s head of
Future Brands origina-
tion Milena Lazarevska.The Co-op launched
a new TV ad this
week highlighting
its environmental
credentials.
The ad focuses on the
society’s use of 100%
compostable carrier bags
as part of its recently
launched ‘It’s what
we do’ strategy, which
was created by Lucky
Generals.
The latest ad, called
Ice Cream, features two
women swimming in
the sea while discuss-
ing having some Co-op
Irresistible Swiss White
Chocolate & SaltedCo-op launches new
sustainability TV ad
Caramel ice cream, and
how shopping from the
retailer means there will
be less plastic pollution
of the oceans.
The Co-op replaced
plastic bags with com-
postable versions last
September, in 1,
stores located in areas in
which they are accepted
by the local authority in
household food waste
collections.
“We are committed to
helping our members and
customers make more
ethical choices,” said
Co-op customer director
Ali Jones.Tesco cuts 4,500 jobs
in Metro restructure
Tesco said its Metro stores were being used like c-storesRonan Hegarty
Tesco is set to cut 4,
jobs across its store
estate in a fresh round of
changes.
The operational
changes will mainly
focus on its 153 Metro
stores, which the retailer
said were now acting
more as convenience
stores rather than places
for full weekly shops.
Tesco said 70% of its
Metro customers were
using them as c-stores,
buying food for that day.
The changes involve
a reduced management
structure in the Metro
stores, while staff will
have to work more flex-
ibly across the store to
improve customer service
at the busiest times of the
day. It is also switching
to a new replenishmentmodel, with fewer prod-
ucts held in the store-
room and more product
going straight onto the
shop floor.
Tesco is also reduc-
ing opening hours in
134 Tesco Express stores
where footfall is lower
than average. It will also
be simplifying stock rou-
tines in these stores.Additionally, there will
be changes in some large
stores, again involving
processes for moving
stock around and filling
shelves.
Tesco said it would
look to try and find
alternative roles for as
many affected staff as
possible.
“In a challenging,evolving retail
environment, with
increasing cost pres-
sures, we have to con-
tinue to review the way
we run our stores to
ensure we reflect the
way our customers are
shopping and do so in
the most efficient way,”
said Tesco UK & ROI CEO
Ja son Ta r r y.
“We do not take any
decision which impacts
colleagues lightly, but
we have to make sure we
remain relevant for cus-
tomers and operate a sus-
tainable business now
and in the future.”
The latest round of cuts
comes after the closure
of most of Tesco’s serve
over counters in recent
months, a move the
retailer said was likely to
affect 9,000 jobs.