Tesco launches nutrient dense range Plentifuel  

Tesco has finally joined the GLP-1 fray, launching a nutrient dense prepared meal range called Plentifuel. The range has been launched in-store and forms part of the retailer’s Healthy Choices bay in chilled ready meals, joining brands and private label products such as The Gym Kitchen, Purepower, HIDE, Tesco High Protein and Tesco Calorie Controlled. It has been flagged up by dedicated on-shelf POS and so far consists of four SKUs including three bean chilli, katsu chicken and chicken & chorizo paella.

Natasha Maynard, Tesco Nutritionist, said:

We know that more customers are thinking carefully about what they get from the food they eat. With Plentifuel, we wanted to make that choice easier. We’ve created meals that are full of flavour while providing protein and fibre in a really convenient format. These first meals are just the start for Plentifuel. We’re really excited to introduce the range to customers and then build on it with even more products next year, all with the same focus on helping people make every mouthful count. 

Retail Futures Senior Partner, Bryan Roberts’ view:

After Morrisons, M&S and the Co-op have already launched nutrient dense / GLP-1-compatable meal solutions in 2026, this Tesco initiative could seem surprisingly belated, but it is nonetheless is an interesting endeavour from the market leader as weight loss medication availability and usage continues to accelerate in the UK. We expect to see more innovation in this space as well as in food-to-go and away-from-home in 2027.

Sainsbury’s reports first-half sales and profits growth  

Sainsbury’s reported group sales (exc. fuel) grew 2.6% in first-half trading results, covering the 28 weeks to 12 September. Broken down by operating area; grocery sales grew 2.9%, whilst Sainsbury’s general merchandise and clothing sales declined 3.4%. In total sales reached £13.9 billion, with grocery sales reaching £13.2 billion and Sainsbury’s general merchandise and clothing sales £777 million. Argos sales, which are now discontinued following the agreed sale to Swift Partners, declined 1.8% to £1.9 billion. Underlying operating profit rose 3.6% to £525 million. The retailer highlighted strong performances from Taste the Difference, online grocery and its Nectar loyalty ecosystem, while also investing in stores, digital capabilities and retail media. 

Senior Insight Analyst, Alex Rowberry’s view:

With Sainsbury’s entering the final six months of its ‘Next Level’ strategy, its first-half results provide further evidence that sustained investment in value, quality and loyalty is resonating with shoppers despite a challenging consumer environment. As trading conditions are expected to become more difficult in 2027, the results also underline the growing importance of digital capabilities, with online grocery, Nectar and retail media contributing to growth, customer engagement and profitability.

Bestway ramps up field sales team  

Leading independent UK wholesaler, Bestway has boosted its customer support function with the addition of 23 new territory managers, aiming to significantly increase its levels of contact with its retailer customer base across the country. These territory managers will operate under two field sales managers covering the north and south of Great Britain respectively and these will report into a national retail controller. The new team is tasked with helping independent retailers increase sales and profit and will offer ongoing support with more face-to-face engagement and practical advice through regular store visits.

Insight Partner, Patrick Mitchell-Fox’s view:

This notable investment in field sales resource shows Bestway responding to major challenges facing the business at this time. As well as the general market headwinds affecting all wholesalers (especially those servicing independent retailers) the ongoing expansion of operators such as Parfetts and Dhamecha is also bringing increased levels of competition to the cities of the midlands and south of England where Bestway has had a longer established presence. The rapid growth of Parfetts, in particular, has owed much to its development of retailer support services such as delivery and its symbol group Go Local, driven by investment in field sales.

OurCoop reports first figures for enlarged group  

OurCoop, formed by the combination of Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star Co-ops at the beginning of 2026, has reported its first financial results, for the six-months to August 2026. Total group turnover was £889m with food retail sales contributing £749m (84%) of this. The society ended the period with 484 grocery stores, with the remainder of revenue coming from a mix of other businesses but mainly from funerals, travel services and early years education. The combined memberships of the three co-ops, which stands at over one million customers, now account for 39% of total spend in OurCoop. 

Insight Partner, Patrick Mitchell-Fox’s view:

The process of merger has effectively seen Midcounties and Chelmsford Star brought into the legal entity of Central Co-op, meaning that the previous-year comparisons in these results represent the financial record of Central Co-op alone. Therefore, the +94% headline turnover growth figure does not reflect the performance of the combined group. Against the background of a trading environment that management describes as ‘very challenging’ and the closure of some under-performing stores it seems likely that the combined sales of the three societies saw some level of decline in the period. With a focus on realising synergies from the merger and a stabilising supply chain OurCoop sees opportunities to build a platform for more profitable growth going forward.

Waitrose open first supermarket in eight years with plans for more  

Waitrose has opened its first new supermarket in eight years last week in Cricklewood North London. The store is 18,000 sq ft and features the modernised designs found in newly refurbished stores across the estate. The retailer has announced alongside this that it will be opening another store in Hale Barns Manchester in November. Four smaller format stores has also been announced as part of this expansion, with a neighbourhood sizes store planned to open in Oakham, Rutland, and three Little Waitrose convenience stores opening in Bedminster, Chalk Farm, and Springstead Village. 

Analyst, Seth Russell‘s view:

This is another major step in Waitrose’s ongoing £1bn investment into modernising and expanding its store estate. The new supermarket opening shows that the retailer is looking to expand not only in neighbourhood, convenience and travel retail but also feels confident that its supermarkets can also find growth. These other new announcements are significant for Waitrose as it continues to compete with rivals who have been opening and renewing stores across the country, in particular M&S. Time will tell if the demand for a new Waitrose supermarket is high in Cricklewood and the announced areas of expansion.

Morrisons rolls out programme using data to optimise propositions  

Morrisons is rolling out a major range optimisation programme based on shopper data. The retailer has trialled this data-led ranging across three supermarkets and is looking to expand into more of its estate. The data comes from its More Card loyalty scheme and a category management software called MoreViu. The retailer found that about three quarters of its range accounted for just a fifth of total sales, therefore ranges needed to be optimised to offer products that will sell.

Analyst, Seth Russell‘s view:

Morrisons have been making efforts to improve the efficiency of its stores and this is another step in the right direction. By shifting its ranges to meet the tangible demand from shoppers the retailer will benefit from higher volumes and a reduction in slower-selling and duplicate products taking up space in stores. This optimisation will also create further ease of shopping as products people want will be more visible and plentiful, potentially drawing more shoppers to Morrisons.