Breakfast on the move. Lunch delivered to your office via bicycle. Dinner ordered in from your smartphone.
The way people eat has changed rapidly and supermarkets know it. They have had to adapt to combat the rise of businesses like Pret, UberEats, Deliveroo and Just Eat, not to mention bars, pubs and restaurant chains.
Waitrose has arguably led the way when it comes to expanding its horizons beyond retail and into foodservice, installing wine bars and its latest concept, The Kitchen, into numerous stores.
The upmarket grocer’s latest move to poach InterContinental Hotels’ Simon Burdess as its first ever director of food service shows that it’s far from just a fad – it’s the future.
Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley clearly feels there is still a future for the embattled Game, in which he has taken a 25% stake.
Although his plans for the computer games specialist are unclear, there will surely be method in the tycoon’s madness.
Elsewhere today, there were contrasting fortunes for fashion chains Asos and N Brown, as the etailer’s third-quarter sales spiked, while N Brown warned it will incur up to £40m in exceptional costs after unearthing “flaws” in general insurance products it previously sold.
Quote of the day
“We want our shops to be places where customers will feel excited by and inspired by food – and evolving our foodservice offer is vital in achieving this.”
Waitrose retail director Ben Stimson
Today in numbers
£660m
The revenues raked in by Asos during its third quarter.
44m
The number of shares Sports Direct has acquired in Game.
Tomorrow’s agenda
With no financial updates scheduled, check out our latest episode of The Retail Week as we analyse Amazon Prime Day, Mike Ashley’s latest maverick move and M&S’ first quarter update.
Luke Tugby, head of content
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