Allister Heath 08 Apr 2014 The Telegraph UK Abolishing Sunday trading laws in today’s 24/7 digital world is a no-brainer for the Coalition It’s time for the Coalition to allow consenting adults to shop freely on Sundays. It is ridiculous, at a time of 24/7 online shopping and late-night weekend home deliveries, that the state still restricts the opening hours of all but the smallest of stores in most of the UK. Ending the unpleasant absurdity that is Sunday chucking-out time in our supermarkets and shopping centres is a policy that ought to tick all the right boxes for the Coalition. It would be hugely popular across all demographic groups, could be implemented quickly and would create tens of thousands of jobs, including in the more depressed regions. It would also do wonders for the Government’s image: shopping, loved by millions but hated by snobs, would no longer be officially…

Luke Traynor Apr 08, 2014 Mirror UK Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch aims to be first smoke free village in Britain The village with Britain’s longest name will leave visitors out of puff – by banning smoking in public. People in the tongue-twisting village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is aiming to be the country’s first smoke-free village by asking people not to light up in public places. Signs will be put up in the the village on Anglesey, north Wales, calling on people not to smoke anywhere in public – even outside pubs and shops. Visitor Darren Humprhreys, 26, said: “I used up all my breath just trying to say the name – no wonder they want to stop people smoking. “It has been famous for years for the name so it would be great to be known for fresh air too.” The no-smoking scheme will apply to entrances to pubs and shops – as well…

9th April 2014 Inside Retail 7-Eleven has confirmed it will be expanding into Western Australia this year, making the first time the company has entered a new market in 32 years. More than 10 stores are projected to open in WA over the coming year, including standalone convenience stores and fuel stores, with plans for as many as 75 stores over the next five years. “Economic and population growth in Western Australia, and boosted demand for convenience stores in the state, has helped make this expansion a reality,” Warren Wilmot, 7-Eleven CEO, said. “Consumers have been asking us for some time when we were coming to Perth, because they are desperate for a great fuel and convenience offer. I’m pleased to be able to tell our fans that we’ll see them in WA soon,” Wilmot said. Core offerings in new stores will remain including fresh food products, Slurpee ranges, Krispy…

Ashley Armstrong 09 Apr 2014 The Telegraph UK MARS, the maker of M&Ms and Snickers, yesterday spent $2.9bn (£1.7bn) buying pet food brands Eukanuba, IAMS and Natura from consumer giant Procter & Gamble. The trio of brands will be added to Mars’ existing pet food business which includes Whiskas cat food and Pedigree Chum. The deal is the biggest in five years for the Mars bar maker since its $23bn Wrigleys gum deal in 2008. The US conglomerate is buying the rights to the brands in North America, Latin America and other selected countries which account for 80pc of Procter & Gamble’s global pet food sales in total. Procter & Gamble, which also owns Gilette razors and Fairy Liquid, said that it could sell its European pet care business to different buyers. The company said it “is developing alternate plans to sell its Pet Care business in these markets”. Analysts…

Graham Ruddick 10 Apr 2014 The Telegraph UK Tesco’s scale remains an advantage, yet the company seems reluctant to use it Tesco’s share price is at the lowest level in a decade, Sainsbury’s is the most shorted stock in the FTSE 100 and Morrisons has warned that profits in 2014 will be half what they were last year. Britain’s biggest supermarkets are facing a crisis. This challenge to the “big four”, which also includes Asda, has not suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It is the result of the discounters Aldi and Lidl growing in confidence over the past few years, the leading grocers focusing on protecting their bottom line rather than growing sales, a lack of trust in big business since the financial crisis and the loss of highly-rated management such as Sir Terry Leahy. According to Moody’s, over the past four years, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have lost…