With five full shopping days to go, the big four grocers are gearing up for a last-minute rush among frantic shoppers. 

This coming Friday – dubbed frenzied Friday– is predicted to be the busiest day of the year for most grocers, as shoppers rush to pick up their last minute sprouts and Sherry.

Spending in supermarkets could hit £894m, the Centre for Retail Research estimated.

But the question is, with the price war still waging, which supermarket will take the biggest portion of sales this festive season?

Walmart-owned Asda has raised the competition stakes by offering discounts of up to 56% across a range of festive vegetables.

It claims customers will save around £2.2m as a result, but will this be enough to bolster the grocer’s popularity after like-for-likes plummeted 5.8% in its third quarter?

Less in the spirit of Christmas, however, is a “draconian” move by The Original Factory Shop.

The value retailer has vexed suppliers in the week before Christmas by deducting a ‘marketing contribution’ at source, without prior warning or consultation.

It mirrors the cheeky demands made by Debenhams at this time last year, which angered its suppliers and was dubbed the Santa Tax.

Elsewhere, Poundland has revealed the location of the first Pep & Co shop-in-shops, and Australian stationer Typo has opened its first UK store with plans for as many as 100.

Quote of the day

“Like other retailers, we request that our suppliers contribute to the company’s ongoing growth plans, and we are proud to enjoy long-term relationships with many of these, always aiming to maintain an open dialogue.”

– A spokeswoman for The Original Factory Shop after it retrospectively deducted a ’marketing contribution’ from suppliers. 

Today in numbers

89%

The expected increase in footfall tomorrow, also known as ’panic Tuesday’, according to ShopperTrak

80

The number of stores Topshop is reportedly set to open across mainland China

Tomorrow’s agenda

There are no scheduled updates tomorrow, but look out for our video interview with Game chief executive Martyn Gibbs at the launch of the retailer’s flagship gaming arena in Soho. 

Emily Hardy, reporter

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