Land Strategies Blog

Merger with Arla – Milk Link Secures Stronger Future for Farmer Owners

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:48:00 GMT

The proposed merger between Milk Link and Arla has been warmly applauded by dairy industry watchers, and rightly so. Against a background of ever stronger retailer power, increased globalisation by major players with turnovers in the £billions, and a...(read more)

Shoppers Further Batten Down Hatches in Face of Economic Gloom

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:09:00 GMT

According to the IGD’s latest research, 59% of shoppers say that their most important concern just now how much they spend. Not surprising given that since 2007 prices have grown by 14% compared with wages at 9%, the spectre of unemployment looms and...(read more)

Removing a Barrier to Organic Market Growth - Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation Funds Programme to Boost Organic and Low Input Farming Yields

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:10:00 GMT

Few people reject the idea of organic products. Indeed according to the Soil Association’s market report 2012, 8 out of 10 households have bought at least one organic product in the last year, and most people have some idea of what organic farming means...(read more)

Tesco Recovery Plan - Not Radical Enough

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:28:00 GMT

Following January’s shock profits warning Philip Clarke, CEO of Tesco, has set out what he will do to restore growth to the UK, and one is left with the feeling that a player with nearly a third of the market, and nearly twice as big as its nearest rival...(read more)

More Staff and Brighter Stores Won't Cut It - Tesco Needs a Culture Change

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:48:00 GMT

It is not often that a business story makes headline news but that is what happened when Philip Clarke of Tesco announced that he would start managing their UK arm direct, leading to the resignation of the man he appointed to run the business just a year...(read more)

Consumers Continue to Feel Gloomy

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:35:00 GMT

Despite the welcome uptick in consumer confidence reported in January many people remain worried about their finances. Institute of Grocery Distribution data shows that over40% of the population feel that they will be worse off this year than last. It...(read more)

Red Tractor Logo - The Reality

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:47:00 GMT

The hoo-hah among some farmers about Countryfile’s piece on food labels and what they mean for animal welfare seems to have died down, replaced by a new furore over Panorama’s look at whether rich/non farming types should receive the single farm payment...(read more)

Food Shopping 2012 - Not So Different From Granny's Day

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:49:00 GMT

So many things about the way we shop today would strike a chord with consumers in the 50’s and even 60’s. Then, there was little choice but to buy locally. Home delivery was the norm with the customer making a list, and handing it over to the shopkeeper...(read more)

Cattle Farm Gate Prices Up But Beef Consumption Down

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:04:00 GMT

Whilst beef farmers breathe a sigh of relief that farmgate prices for cattle have improved, there is a cloud on the horizon in the shape of falling beef eating. In the 12 weeks prior to Christmas the amount of beef bought from shops plunged by 9 %. And...(read more)

Shaking Up the Milk Market - Why Muller Might Want to Buy Wiseman

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:15:00 GMT

At first blush it seems very odd that Muller Dairy, a very successful branded yoghurt and desserts company, would shell out £279m to buy Wiseman – a one product, one distribution channel company who are totally reliant on selling a commodity to fickle...(read more)

Tesco Pays the Price for Ignoring its Customers

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:41:00 GMT

It’s been a dramatic week for supermarket watchers. First, Morrisons who had been the clear leaders in the grocery war of late announced that their sales over Xmas period had grown by a tiny 0.7%. Dalton Phillips their Canadian chief executive said it...(read more)

Riverford and Abel and Cole - The Contrasting Styles of Guy Watson and Keith Abel

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:20:00 GMT

The two big names in organic veg boxes have been in the news recently, but their messages could not be more different. Guy Watson has been explaining that the price of Riverford’s produce is typically 20% less than the supermarket equivalent and that...(read more)

Local Food Gains Ground as Consumers Support Those Closest to Home

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:01:00 GMT

The move towards buying local food has been around for several years now and the economic downturn seems to have made consumers even more inclined to support nearby producers. According to the Institute of Grocery Distribution, the number of shoppers...(read more)

Strong Brands Win Again - Dairy Crest Outperforms Robert Wiseman

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:36:00 GMT

Half year profit results from Robert Wiseman and Dairy Crest once again show the perils of being a one product, one sales channel company operating in a commodity market. Wiseman’s who sell only fresh milk saw pre tax profits drop by 42%, from £20.2m...(read more)

Warning Call From EBLEX - More Must be Done to Boost Red Meat Consumption

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:59:00 GMT

Hard work is needed to keep consumers buying beef and lamb. That is the message coming from EBLEX’s recent conference , and it is an important one. Farm gate prices are strong just now, helped by a reduction in supply from UK farms, a reduction in imports...(read more)

Connecting with Consumers on Smartphones - Now Key to Business Success

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:58:00 GMT

“A nation addicted to smartphones ” is how Ofcom summarises its findings from a recent piece of research, saying that 27% of all adults and almost half of teenagers now own a smartphone (a mobile which connects to the internet). Smartphone owning numbers...(read more)

The Top Four Issues Worrying Food Shoppers Struggling with Austerity

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:02:00 GMT

According to the Institute of Grocery Distribution’s Shopper Track research the top four areas where cash strapped consumers are seeking help are: 1. Sticking to a budget 2. Reducing waste 3. Making shopping a less tedious experience 4. Understanding...(read more)

Being Creative with a Commodity - How Meat Marketers are Adding Value

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:28:00 GMT

These beefburgers, with their reference to breed and Britishness neatly capture some of the ways that marketers are adding value to meat. The British reference is important as consumers continue to seek reassurance about where their food comes from, and...(read more)

Speciality Farm Produce Available Online - Former Asda CEO's New Venture

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:21:00 GMT

One of the more interesting news items from last weekend is that Andy Bond, former chief executive officer of ASDA is investing in Farmison.com, an online food retailer which aims to provide home cooks with speciality food ingredients produced by small...(read more)

Going for Growth - How Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Morrisons and Aldi are Tackling the Challenge

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:02:00 GMT

Growth remains the holy grail for all supermarkets. Here we look at four different approaches - M&S and Waitrose at the premium end of the market, Morrisons in the mainstream, and Aldi the discount chain. The discount sector remains an endless source...(read more)

Canny Consumers - Cutting Food Costs Without Cutting Quality or Amount Consumed

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:47:00 GMT

Peter Marks of the Coop, trying to explain a 4.6% reduction his first half year food sales, said that “People are spending less on food – that’s a first.” Kantar Worldpanel confirms the cutback, explaining that in the last three months grocery sales were...(read more)

Red Meat Consumption Update - Beef and Pork Steady, Lamb Plummets

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:04:00 GMT

Shoppers bought 19% less lamb in the 12 months to mid July 2011 than they did in the previous year. (Source: Kantar Worldpanel) By contrast, volume sales of beef are up 1%, pork and sausages up 2%, sliced cooked meats up 3%, and bacon up 5%. Overall,...(read more)

Buying British - Catering Companies Letting the Side Down Badly

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:13:00 GMT

Unlike supermarkets, catering companies are not obliged to tell the public where the food they sell every year actually comes from. So you and your family could be eating anything from anywhere, and produced to heaven knows what standards. Quite apart...(read more)

Supermarkets' Own Brands - An Increasingly Important Battleground

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:01:00 GMT

For the first time in a long time supermarkets are struggling to grow food sales. Food inflation of around 5% plus economic uncertainty equals shoppers trading down, seeking promotions, cutting waste and sticking to a budget. All of which gives a headache...(read more)

Renewed Growth of Discount Grocers Prompts Return Visit to Aldi

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:05:00 GMT

Discount grocers sales are booming again, with growth levels not seen since the recession of 2008. Aldi is up 21% in the last three months and Lidl not far behind at plus 16%. Their combined market share has reached an all time high of 6.1%. Kantar Worldpanel...(read more)