The latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel show an ongoing polarisation of the grocery market, as both Aldi and Waitrose continue to make gains on rivals. Value retailer Aldi posted an all-time record share of 3.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to 12 May 2013, up from 2.8 per cent of the market last year.

Posted by Ava Szajna

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Representatives of the UK’s leading supermarkets are being summoned to parliament on Tuesday, to explain confusing and misleading “unit prices” on food and drink products. Consumer affairs minister, Jo Swinson, will meet representatives at the Department of Business to discuss inconsistencies in their promotional items, which in some cases mislead and confuse customers into buying products that do not represent value for money.

Posted by Joe Stearn

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Tesco has reported plans to extend over 50 new franchise clothing stores for coming five years to expand F&F brand.

Posted by Ushma Patel

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Wealthy residents of the Sandbanks millionaire’s row remain perplexed by the acquisition of a Tesco Express, which plans to open in July. Residents from Dorset have expressed their frustration by claiming that the convenience store will be an ‘eyesore’ and that it would look ‘like a filling in a set of teeth’, the Daily Mail reports.

Posted by Joe Stearn

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Price reductions and online offerings have boosted Asda’s underlying sales by 1.3 per cent in the first quarter, Reuters reports. The supermarket chain, which is owned by American retail giants Wal-Mart, said on Thursday that excluding fuel and VAT, sales at shops open over a year have seen a 1.3 per cent rise in the 14 weeks to April 12.

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Ocado, the grocery delivery service, saw its shares drop 8 per cent amid a potential breach of contract with main clients Waitrose, The Guardian reported Monday. Waitrose lawyers remain concerned about Ocado’s proposed deal to set Morrisons up with their own online delivery service, fearing a conflict of interests.

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Tesco has declined to install near field communication (NFC) contactless payment devices on its tills, instead deciding to work on its own version of the wireless mobile wallet.

Posted by Kirsty Simmonds

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The UK’s fourth biggest grocer, Morrisons, crashed in the stock market today as it continues to fall behind its competitors. The 1.8 per cent slump was an improvement from its 4.1 per cent performance in the last quarter, however, shares fell 8.2p to 288.2p, making them the worst performers in the FTSE 100 index.

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Harris + Hoole is set to open 10 more sites across the south east over the next four months. The artisan-style coffeehouse made headlines last year after it emerged that Tesco had made a non-controlling investment in the company. According to the M&C Report, Harris + Hoole will add seven new sites across London, including a flagship in Cannon Street, along with three new outlets in Guildford, Sunbury and Watford.

Posted by Ava Szajna

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With less than two weeks to go until the entry deadline for the Online Retail Awards (ORA), My-Retail Media met with Matthew Davies, director of the awards, to discuss what to expect from this year’s line-up. Taking place at the Royal Garden Hotel on 5 September, the ORAs look to highlight excellence in online retailing on an international scale, judged by an impartial, independent group of 14 panels of retail experts from across the world.

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