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COVID-19 UPDATE
NEWS SPECIAL
LIDL SHOPPERS TACKLE HUNGER
OVER 40,000 ESSENTIAL FOOD ITEMS WERE DONATED THEIRLOCAL COMMUNITIES BY LIDL SHOPPERS IN THE FIVE WEEKSAPPROACHING CHRISTMAS.
Lidl customers donated over 40,000 essential food items to their local communities at the till through the ‘Teaming up to Tackle Hunger’ scheme in the five weeks running up to Christmas – and Lidl matched every donation.
The ‘Teaming up to Tackle Hunger’ initiative saw generous shoppers make donations of products like rice, tuna and cereal for grassroots non-profit organisations the length and breadth of Scotland.
By simply scanning a flyer representing a staple product at the till, shoppers added funds to purchase one of five store cupboard essentials, with each donation matched by Lidl.
This month, Lidl processed the collaborative donations from its 105 Scottish stores with pallets of vital food ready to be distributed to 105 partnering charities across the country.
RETAILERS URGED TO PLAN FOR ‘LONG COVID’
Doctors are urging retailers to plan for the effects of ‘Long Covid’ now as cases continue to grow in order to minimise the risk of major staffing problems.
“The medical profession knows about post viral syndromes, but the potential scale and complexity of Long Covid is presenting new challenges,” says Dr Greg Irons, an occupational health specialist practising in London.
“The UK Government’s Office for National Statistics published data last November showing that around one in five people who tested positive for Covid-19 had symptoms that lasted for five weeks or longer – and one in 10 people had symptoms that lasted for 12 weeks or longer.”
A study recently published in The Lancet followed 1,733 adults in Wuhan who were recovering from Covid. It found 76% of patients reported at least one post-viral symptom. More than 50% showed chest problems on scans.
Considering that approaching four million people in the UK have tested positive so far, employers are potentially looking at a significant number of Long Covid cases within the UK workforce.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN FOOD INDUSTRY AT ‘ALL TIME HIGH’
SHOPPER CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED TO ITS HIGHEST LEVELSINCE FEBRUARY 2020, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST IGD SHOPPERCONFIDENCE INDEX.
The latest IGD Shopper Confidence Index reveals that shopper confidence has increased to its highest level since February 2020. Additionally, confidence in the food industry has never been higher.
The increase is driven by restored confidence within the over-55s, which appears to be a direct result of the vaccine roll-out. Trust in the food industry is also at an all-time high, thanks to the industry maintaining supply, focusing on health and supporting local communities and suppliers.
But, despite these encouraging results, overall confidence remains fragile, caused by the uncertain length of the national lockdown, the economic downturn and potential supply chain disruption surrounding the EU trade deal.
Confidence has improved across all major regions and, with news of the progress on the vaccinations programme, 19% expect to be better off in the year ahead (up 2% on last month) – the highest level since July 2020. Just under a third (31%) expect to be worse off financially in the year ahead (down 1% on last month).
FOOD SALES UP 7.5% IN JANUARY
The latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for January 2021 reveals that, over the three months to January, UK food sales increased 7.5% on a like-for-like basis and 7.9% on a Total basis.
This is higher than the 12-month Total average growth of 6.1% and means that, for the month of January, food was in growth YOY.
Over the same period, non-Food retail sales increased by 5.6% on a like-for-like basis and declined 5.6% on a total basis.
Online Non-Food retail sales, however, increased by 83.0% in January, against a growth of just 1.0% in January 2020.
TESCO IRELAND CLAIMS RECYCLING TECH FIRST
Tesco Ireland has become the first retailer on the island to unveil a recycling solution for soft plastics, which have not been thus far eligible for household recycling in Ireland.
Working with tech startup Paltech, the solution will accept and prepare returned consumer soft plastics for processing into construction materials to be used by Tesco Ireland for new store builds and maintenance of existing stores.
The plastic will be deposited at in-store collection points.
SAINSBURY’S MATCHES ALDI
Sainsbury’s has startedprice-matching 250 fooditems against Aldi in a rangeof categories including freshmeat, vegetables and dairy.
BOOHOO CONCERNS
Retail trade union Usdaw isseeking urgent meetings withArcadia administrators andurges them to treat staff withfairness and dignity, afterBoohoo confirmed the takeoverof Arcadia brands Burton,Wallis and Dorothy Perkins onMonday. The deal will see allbrands taken online only.
OCADO FLYING
Ocado’s revenues jumpedalmost 33% to £2.3bn inthe year to 29 November2020, driven by the shift toonline grocery shopping.Average basket spend jumpedfrom £106 to £137. Theimprovements helped theretailer reduce its pre-tax lossto £44m, significantly downfrom a loss of £214.5m theyear before.
