The Supermarket Sleuth

Recycling and the gigantic global problem that needs to be solved

Plastic waste is even more of a global problem then we feared. Descending to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean a man was shocked to see a plastic bag on the sea floor. What's the answer?

Apples and Healthy Spirits

One of our favorite apples goes organic and can we really accept that it's possible to have healthier spirits. That and more in this week's show.

Private label no longer the purchases to hide on your trolley

Private label no longer the purchases to hide on your trolley

Once supermarket shoppers would hide their private label purchases in their trolleys as they felt it a negative reflection on who they were. Those were the days when they were just copies of national brands. But that was in the past. Today private label is the way to go.

Supermarkets and how and why they do what they do

Supermarkets have been around a long time. The first one opened in New York in the 1930s. England followed in the 40s and New Zealand and Australian followed each other in the 50s. They are operating in a continually changing environment and face challenges which they work to overcome. This week I look at the back story. What? How? Why? A peek behind the scenes at the One-Stop Shop which has become the centre of our lives.

UK Government Halts Major Merger

The British government has stopped the 2nd and 4rd of the country's top four supermarkets from merging. What does this mean going forward and how will it affect consumers. Coke and Costa and coffee all start with 'C' and it looks as though Coke, know for decades for Cola, may soon become better know for coffee. And New Zealand faces rising food prices. This and more in this week's show.

Could this be the beginning of the end of plastic?

Evian, which produces bottled water for the UK and France as well as other parts of the world, has its targets on getting rid of the plastic bottles in a rather clever way. And is our love affair with popcorn coming to an end. A popular snack in the cinema, it made the leap into supermarkets and has grown some. But maybe we're calling time on this particular snack. Plus a blow for Associated British Foods in the UK and investigation into what ABF does. 

Scotland finds an Eco-friendly alternative to plastic

We all hate what waste plastic is going to the environment. But what can we use instead? A Scottish company has come up with a far more acceptable alternative.The Australians will soon be having deliveries by drone. Their government has given the go-ahead, but what about the risks? Do you get frustrated at times to find something tasty and healthy for your child's school lunch-box? Well, how about a meal in a bite? And I will introduce you to a new word – shrinkflation. 

Are loyalty cards worth having?

Is it really a great benefit to have a supermarket loyalty card, or are we simply providing yet another email address for the supermarket to sell off to other companies wanting to pester you with sales emails? And what about Marks & Spencer? They've decided to grow the food side of their business – bearing in mind it's mostly own brand. Even if it means cutting back on the clothes they've been famous for selling for decades.

German Discounters Keep on Growing

How can you save money on your supermarket shopping in the UK when you have no discounters in easy reach? Find out in my latest podcast. We also plot the progress of Tesco's Jack's discounter stores, which are starting to grow, and we find out how well ALDI and Lidl are doing in the UK. Kellogg is selling off some of its brands in the United States and an Australasian brewer buys up more of the UK's craft breweries.

Issues While Supermarket Shopping

What do you like about supermarkets and what do you really hate? Also, are you an online shopper or do you prefer to get all touchy feely with your fruit and veg and personally choose fresh meat and fish? These are two issues I talk about this week as well as looking at the fraught proposed merger of Walmart's Asda and Sainsbury's in the UK. will it go ahead or will government bureaucracy halt it in its tracks?