NEWS
2 MAY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 5
Tesco reported a fall in
like-for-like sales of 1.8% at
its wholesale arm Booker,
weighed down by an 8.8%
slump in the tobacco market
and 5.1% weaker demand in
parts of the fast-food sector,
served by Booker’s Best
Food Logistics.
Despite this overall
decline, Booker saw growth
in its core segments. Core
retail LFL sales rose by 0.9%,
while core catering posted a
stronger 2.1% increase,
supported by price-lock
campaigns and improving
availability.
Whilst the independent
convenience sector is seeing
some trading softness,
Booker said its symbol
brands performed strongly.
Booker retail customer
satisfaction continued to im-
prove, with gains year-on-
year, and catering sales were
boosted by the integration of
Venus Wine and Spirit
Merchants, acquired in
June 2024, which expand-
ed its ofering to the
on-trade sector.
Tesco Group’s overall
performance remained
strong, with adjusted
operating profit rising
10.9% to £3.13 billion and
group sales increasing by
4% to £63.64 billion. Profit
after tax increased 37% to
£1.6 billion.
CEO Ken Murphy said
Tesco had achieved its
highest market share in
nearly a decade, driven by
innovation and investment
in quality.
Booker sales dip despite
growth in retail and catering
Balancing the charm of
Balancing the charm of
the spirits bottle against
the spirits bottle against
what’s inside it
what’s inside it
Nick Gillett is
Co-founder and
Managing
Director of
successful
spirits
distributor
Mangrove Global, as well as
an industry expert and
commentator. In his column
for this issue, Nick ponders
the wisdom of judging a
‘book’ by its cover
When it comes to building a spirits
range – how do you prioritise the
look of a product versus the taste?
Do you choose to stock a product
because it looks good? After all, the
customer won’t taste it until after
purchase. The answer is a lovely
shade of grey. Choose a brand that’s
good at both. Whilst brands attract
with the bottle, they build loyalty
with taste, so if you find something
you like the look of be sure to sip
before choosing to stock.
When we talk about the appeal of
a bottle – remember it might not just
be about aesthetics. Sustainability in
spirits packaging is a big thing, and a
consideration for many consumers
who want to shop more ethically.
Avallen Calvados is a great example
of someone doing it well with their
lightweight, zero plastic bottles,
whilst FAIR Spirits have also become
a deserving poster child for
responsible brand ethos.
The sustainable packaging factor
may become an even bigger
influence on buying habits as
proposed packaging regulations
(the EPR in England and Wales, the
DRS in Scotland) come into play.
Brands will have to cover the full net
cost of managing their packaging
waste, so expect to see brands
starting to take action to reduce that
waste. What will this mean for you?
Well, it might mean possible price
increases being passed down the
supply chain, and you might want to
think about how to reorder your
shelf. Choose quality liquids with
responsible, attractive packaging
and you’re onto a winner.
Britain will not relax its food
safety standards as part of any
deal to secure lower tarifs on its
exports to the United States,
business secretary Jonathan
Reynolds said on Sunday.
US president Donald Trump
has imposed 10% tarifs on most
imports of British goods to the
United States and a higher 25%
rate on imports of cars, steel and
aluminium.
Although the tarifs imposed
on Britain are at the lower end of
the United States’ scale,
Reynolds said he still viewed the
greater trade barriers as
“disappointing”.
Last month, after the tarifs
were announced, Reynolds said
it was “not inaccurate” to say the
United States and Britain had
agreed the broad outline of a
possible deal, though Trump had
seen it.
However, there has been
little sign of progress since, and
chancellor Rachel Reeves said
she intended to meet US
treasury secretary Scott Bessent
“shortly”.
Attempts to strike a bilateral
trade deal during Trump’s first
term in 2017-21 ran into
opposition from Britain’s
Conservative government at the
time over measures to lower
animal welfare and environ-
mental standards.
Reynolds said looser food
standards remained of the table
for the Labour administration,
as he viewed that as breaching
promises made in 2024’s
election campaign.
“We will never change our
SPS (sanitary and phytosani-
tary) food standards. We’ve
made that perfectly clear to the
United States,” he told Sky
News.
Common US and Canadian
practices such as washing raw
chicken in chlorinated water or
feeding growth hormones to
cattle are banned in Britain and
the European Union, although
others did meet British
standards.
UK won’t relax food rules for US trade deal
Reynolds: US safety
Reynolds: US safety
standards still of the table
standards still of the table
NEWS/COMMENT