LEARN, CREATE & DO
Throughout the year, part of the job we love the most is keeping up with the latest food & drink trends. From willing volunteers at the latest restaurant openings, to mixing up drinks at home, to scrolling through TikTok for “research”, to swapping news stories in the office;…
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It’s been an amazing year at Alfred and so, we wanted to take a moment to look back at everything we’ve achieved in 2019. We’re proud to have done some of our best, most impactful work yet, continued relationships with some brilliant clients and won some new ones. And, found…
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This month, Oatly announced the launch of its new Ice Cream range for the first time in the UK. To celebrate, the Alfred team hosted an ‘Oatly Ice Cream Party’ at the renowned, and very cool plant-based eats café Kalifornia Kitchen in London. We invited a whole host of media…
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BYOC: Waitrose trials its own ‘refill station’ Waitrose is on a mission to reduce plastic packaging and has started a trial in its Oxford store that urges customers to bring their own refillable containers for products such as rice, pasta, and frozen fruit. Wine and beer, as…
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McDonald’s could be joining vegan revolution as bosses consider selling meat-free Big Macs and Quarter pounders. McDonald’s boss Steve Easterbrook said he is considering bringing in a plant-based burger to help appeal to new customers at a time when its competitors are cashing in on the…
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Hawksmoor left with red (wine) face Diners at Hawksmoor Manchester were presumably chuffed to bits when they were accidentally served £4.5k bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001. The steak restaurant, a big favourite here at Alfred, saw the funny side though, choosing to share the story…
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Thousands of UK shops left empty as high street crisis deepens The number of shops lying empty soared by more than 7,500 last year, according to new data that lays bare the crisis on the high street. A rapid rise in the number…
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Greggs vegan sausage roll boosts sales Greggs this week announced that it had finally hit £1bn for the first time in product sales. The bakery chain also announced that 2019 sales have spiked by almost 10% already, thanks to the fanfare…
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Primark defies wider retail gloom with strong Christmas UK fast-fashion retailer Primark was buoyed by strong trading over the holiday season, defying the general gloom in the sector to post record sales. Primark’s owner Associated British Foods…
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How did the high street perform over Christmas? High street sales slumped over Christmas, according to the Evening Standard, however there was positive news for online sales. Richard Lim, of Retail Economics, commented: “These results demonstrate the vast disparity in the…
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Desperate battle to save Christmas Desperate stores are praying for a last-minute sales rush to save their Christmas – slashing prices in a bid to lure thrifty shoppers, according to the Mail Online. Despite Britons expected to spend almost £3 billion…
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Flexitarianism is shaping UK food habits Flexitarianism, clean eating and a growing health-consciousness are shaping the nation’s food and drink buying habits, The Grocer’s Top Products survey has revealed. The growing popularity of ‘superfoods’, free-from and sports nutrition products also highlights…
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O2 outrage! O2 customers were outraged this week following a network blackout up and down the country. Millions of furious O2 customers endured a day without data, prompting a barrage of angry tweets racking up into the thousands. Coca-Cola is coming to town…
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Shoppers tighten purses ahead of Brexit Retail sale volumes have fallen 0.5% in October as gloom engulfs high streets amid the upcoming divorce with Europe. Big retailers such as Debenhams and House of Fraser announced further store closures this week, due to growing sales concerns.
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Read on for the latest news making waves in the world of retail this week: Does this planet-friendly petition signal crunch time for Walkers’ packaging? It’s crunch time for Walkers, as over 300,000 consumers have got behind a petition urging them to…
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Wearable rewards with trackable clothing Tommy Hilfiger is catering to its captivated millennial audience with the launch of Tommy Jeans Xplore. 23 products in this diffusion line are embedded with a smart tag which connects to an iOS app, and allows them to earn points whenever worn.
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Read on for the latest news making waves in the world of retail this week: Ikea’s new mini stores set to boost the high street Swedish giant Ikea is downsizing, with its first mini store offering a capsule collection launching in London…
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Read on for the latest news making waves in the world of retail this week: Record sales on Amazon Prime Day Forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday – this week’s Prime Day was the biggest sales day in Amazon’s history. Over 100m…
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Supermarkets turn Festive What will we be eating this Christmas? The supermarkets have unveiled their festive lines, which this year have been updated for our changing palates. Waitrose has 21 vegan and 54 gluten-free options, and Asda is focusing on Instagram-worthy treats. Let’s watch the competition heat up…
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