Adam Leyland

1 month ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Adam Leyland

The media’s coverage of the global trade war is squarely focused on the impact of US president Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on car manufacturers. But the Financial Times reports that US alcohol brands are increasingly caught up in the wider Canada-US tariff dispute. US wine, beer and spirits brands have been removed from shelves in retaliation for Trump’s trade war and threats to annex the country.

1 month ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Adam Leyland

Asda was cheapest for the second week running in our weekly Grocer 33 price comparison survey. But what about the 5%-10% price gap Allan Leighton is promising as part of his turnaround? With another 1,500 items now on Rollback (on top of the 20% Asda introduced at the start of February, according to Asda’s executive chairman), Asda’s £62.39 total was 4.4% (£2.77) cheaper than the same basket last month, with eight items seeing price decreases (and five increases).

1 month ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Adam Leyland

When Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017, the news was enough to send shares in supermarkets, not only in the US but in the UK and Europe, into a tailspin. Tesco was one of the worst affected: shares fell almost 10%. And look how well that deal went for Amazon! It’s a point worth remembering when trying to explain the market’s reaction to Asda’s poor results last week, or rather, the “significant war chest” new boss Allan Leighton has promised to compete against its UK rivals.

1 month ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Adam Leyland |Ian Quinn

Allan Leighton has ‘loved every minute’ since returning to Asda. And his comeback is already having an impact internally – and externally. In an exclusive interview with The Grocer, he reflects on the progress to date and the plans that are taking shapeIt’s four months since Allan Leighton returned to Asda. And already the executive chairman – whose turnaround of the Leeds-based supermarket chain in the 1990s is the stuff of retail legend – is having a dramatic impact.

1 month ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Adam Leyland

Ah, those sunlit uplands. In the post-Brexit transition from the Common Agricultural Policy’s land-based system, England moved, under ‘environment’ minister Michael Gove, from an agricultural-based food policy to an environmental one, under the so-called ‘public money for public goods’ principle. It seemed progressive, in touch with the zeitgeist, albeit hideously complicated and predicated on ultimately wrong assumptions about the direction of farmgate prices and the value of land.