Christmas Shopping - NewsWireExplorer

Major UK supermarket expects £3.1billion in profit after ‘intense’ Christmas

Harry J — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:40:33 +0000

Tesco, the UK’s leading supermarket chain, has celebrated its largest market share in over a decade, as it notched up a rise in festive sales despite “intense” competition. The retail giant reported a 3.3% surge in like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland during the six weeks leading up to January 3, with a 3.2% rise in the UK and a 3.8% boost in Ireland.

In the 13 weeks leading up to November 22, which includes the third quarter before Christmas, sales rose by 4%. According to Worldpanel data, Tesco increased its share of the UK grocery market to 28.7% in the three months leading up to December 28, which leapt to 29.4% during the crucial Christmas month. The company stated that this robust Christmas performance puts it on track for annual profits at the higher end of its recently revised guidance of between £2.9 billion and £3.1 billion.

However, the growth in festive sales represents a slight deceleration from the 3.7% reported across the UK and Ireland business for the same period the previous year. The company acknowledged that competition remains cut-throat as major players vie on price.

Sales in its Booker wholesale business also saw a decline of 2.1% during the six-week Christmas period, a downturn from a 0.9% drop in the third quarter.

Ken Murphy, chief executive, said: “Our investments in value, quality and service drove further gains in customer satisfaction and strong growth in fresh food, contributing to our highest UK market share in over a decade.

“Competition is as intense as ever, and we know value remains a priority for customers.”

The retailer recently announced it was reviving its iconic blue-and-white striped value branding as it intensifies its pricing battle with German rival Aldi.

Earlier this week, Tesco revealed the comeback of the blue-and-white stripes – axed back in 2012 – would “symbolise value at Tesco” and feature as the centrepiece of a major marketing blitz showcasing bargain prices on top branded goods.

The supermarket giant reported its busiest shopping days fell on December 22 and 23, whilst celebrating its most successful Christmas for digital sales with website transactions surging 11.2% and two purchases processed every second in the run-up to December 25.

Sales of its premium Finest collection soared 13% as Mr Murphy noted customers also prioritised quality during the festive period, with party product lines climbing 22%.

Tesco shares tumbled 5.5% during Thursday morning trading after sales growth fell short of City forecasts.

Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Tesco continued to deliver for shoppers and investors alike this festive season, scooping up market share and increasing consumer satisfaction scores in an extremely competitive market.

“However, performance at its wholesale business, Booker, wasn’t as good as hoped due to the long-running decline in tobacco sales.

“The net effect was that Tesco only nudged its full-year underlying operating profit guidance to the top end of its current £2.9 to £3.1 billion range, while many had been hoping for a bigger upgrade.”

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, added: “Tesco may see full-year profit coming in at the top end of expectations, but its festive update did not pass the smell test with investors after a slowdown in underlying sales growth over Christmas.”

However, he noted: “These numbers are not a disaster as the company has its highest share of the British grocery market in more than 10 years. A more than doubling in the share price from the 2022 lows means the company will be judged more harshly for the slightest misstep.”

He added: “The recent strong Christmas trading by the discount names Aldi and Lidl shows competition is intense, even if Tesco is well placed among the established supermarkets to fight back.

“Offering discount prices through its Clubcard scheme enables it to drive customer loyalty while offering the kind of value the UK’s hard-pressed households are looking for.”

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UK high street giant with over 1,000 stores issues warning as £10m profit slump expected

Harry J — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 16:11:26 +0000

Card Factory has issued a warning about lower profits due to “well-publicised” pressures on the high street. The retail chain has reported ongoing challenges with low high street footfall during the crucial festive trading period, indicating UK store sales have fallen short of previous expectations.

It has predicted a lower adjusted pre-tax profit than last year of between £55million and £60million, unless trading significantly improves. The group had previously predicted “mid-to-high single digit” percentage growth from the previous year’s result of £66million. In September, its adjusted profits were reported down 9% to £13.2million.

In a trading update today, December 12, a spokesperson for the Card Factory said: “Over recent months, the pressures facing the UK consumer have been well publicised. It is an inescapable fact that these pressures have impacted consumer confidence and shopping behaviour, contributing to soft high street footfall.

“Those conditions have persisted as we moved into our most important trading period, leading to a UK store sales performance which is lower than our previous expectations.

“On the assumption that current trading trends persist over the remaining seven weeks of our financial year, we now expect to deliver adjusted Profit Before Tax for the full financial year between £55m and £60m.”

The board said it remains confident in Card Factory’s long-term strategy, including its ‘Simplify and Scale’ productivity and efficiency programme, which aims to mitigate the impact of inflation.

The retailer has more than 1,000 stores across the UK and Ireland, but it said performance in the Republic of Ireland and North America has remained in line with expectations, and its integration of Funky Pigeon is on track.

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Full list of UK shops and supermarkets shut on Boxing Day 2025

Harry J — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:56:32 +0000

Shoppers are urged to plan ahead as a wave of major shops and supermarkets have announced they will be closed on Boxing Day.

Anyone planning a post-Christmas shopping spree will need to check opening/closing times, as more stores have announced their festive hours. From Aldi and Poundland to Marks and Spencer, here’s a round-up of UK shops that are closed on December 26.

Aldi has confirmed that all UK stores will shut on Boxing Day, following the same pattern as in past years. The doors shut at 6pm on Christmas Eve, and branches won’t reopen until December 27.

Home Bargains will also shut shops, allowing its staff members to get a Christmas break.

Marks and Spencer will close most of its stores on Boxing Day again. Only a handful of service stations will remain open, operating differently, however.

Poundland and The Works will be closed for the day.

Several other major high street names have also confirmed they will not open on Boxing Day, including Dunelm, Pets at Home, Wickes, and B&Q.

Tesco is closing its superstores on Boxing Day, although many Express shops will reopen with reduced hours.

Waitrose has only a very small number of its stores operating for the delivery platform; however, it will keep almost all of its branches shut.

Not every retail store will close on December 26. Lidl will be open across the UK on Boxing Day, with reduced hours.

Asda will reopen from mid-morning on Boxing Day, and Morrisons will remain open with limited hours.

Sainsbury’s will also be open to the public on Boxing Day; however, superstores will have reduced hours.

Boots, Superdrug and H&M will be open on Boxing Day, ready for their end-of-year sales.

Next has not confirmed its Boxing Day sales just yet, but historically, it has closed early. And Primark will likely be trading on December 26, in line with previous years.

Despite national policies, there will likely be some varying opening times depending on staffing, store size and location throughout the Christmas period.

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John Lewis and Amazon slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’

Harry J — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:50:41 +0000

John Lewis and Amazon slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’ (Image: Getty)

Eight in 10 products advertised as Black Friday deals are the same price or cheaper at other times of the year, an annual study by Which? suggests.

The consumer champions compared prices on 175 home, technology and health appliances from eight major retailers – Amazon, AO, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds, and Very – for six months either side of Black Friday last year to find that 83% were cheaper or the same on at least one other date outside of the four-week sales period.

On the day of Black Friday itself, Which? found there were no deals at all that were at their cheapest of the year. Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, said: “Our research exposes the harsh truth: for the majority of shoppers, Black Friday is a false economy. Retailers are relying on hype and urgency to push products that are the same price, or even cheaper, at other times of the year.”

Which? found 94% of products it analysed at John Lewis were the same price or cheaper at other times (Image: Getty)

At John Lewis, Which? found that 94% of the products it analysed were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

One of these deals included a Samsung Jet Bot Robot Vacuum Cleaner, which was £350 on Black Friday but had been £299 for 29 days in May and June 2024. It was £399 for 35 days in August to September, before jumping to £500 during the first week of October.

Also at John Lewis, the Samsung Series 5 WW90CGC04DTH Freestanding Ecobubble washing machine was £399 on Black Friday, but had been the same price or cheaper on 108 occasions prior to the sale day and 115 after. It was cheaper than its Black Friday price 47 times after the sale, with a lowest price of £369.

At Very, 93% of deals were the same price or cheaper outside of the Black Friday sales period.

One example included the Dyson V11 Extra Stick Vacuum Cleaner. At Very, this was priced at £349 during the Black Friday period – but it was the same price on 29 days before Black Friday and on 41 days after the sale.

At AO, Which? found that 85% of Black Friday deals offered during the four-week sales period were at the same price or better at other times of the year.

Which? did find that Currys kept its promise that no sale products would have been cheaper in the six months prior to Black Friday. However, some items did drop in price after the event, and there were times before Black Friday when shoppers could have paid the same as the sales price.

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Which? also found that Amazon’s Black Friday deals were either the same price or cheaper in 88% of cases, and cheaper in 63% of cases outside of the sales period.

The investigation also uncovered evidence that retailers appear to use Recommended Retail Prices (RRPs) to make a ‘deal’ seem more generous.

At Boots Which? found an Oral-B Vitality Pro Electric Toothbrush advertised as ‘save £25, RRP £50’, but the product was cheaper or the same price for more than 96% of the year. The £50 RRP was only in place for 13 days during the six months preceding the sale.

Similarly, also at Boots, the Oral-B Junior Kids Electric Toothbrush was advertised as ‘save £35, RRP £70’, yet the £70 RRP was only in place for three days in the six months prior; otherwise, it was priced at £35.

In contrast, Richer Sounds had by far the best performance in the analysis, with only 55% of analysed products found to be cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.

Which? said its findings showed that shoppers should not feel rushed into buying anything on Black Friday, as they would likely still find a competitive price ahead of Christmas or in the January sales if they’re willing to wait.

Ms Sewraz said: “There are good deals to be found, but they can be few and far between. Our experts sift through thousands of deals every day during the sales to hand-pick genuine deals on products we think are worth buying. Our advice is simple: take your time, don’t be fooled by clever marketing and do your research.”

A John Lewis spokeswoman said: “Our customers can find brilliant deals with us all year round, but our Black Friday event brings together a unique breadth and volume of offers that can’t be found at any other time of year – and is especially popular as customers prepare for Christmas.”

A spokeswoman for The Very Group said: “We’re committed to delivering great value across our department store all year round. Promotions are important to our customers and Black Friday is just one of the many key calendar moments when we showcase some of our best deals.”

A Boots spokesperson said: “We know that our customers enjoy making genuine savings on their shopping at Boots, whether that is through our Black Friday deals or our packed programme of promotions that run all year round. In 2024, we offered discounts on over 20,000 products across the Black Friday period. Being part of that promotional programme does not preclude those lines from being on offer at other times throughout the year, as we strive to deliver great value for money for our customers every day.”

An AO spokesman said: “Customers know that Black Friday is now at least a month-long promotion and isn’t a single day. It’s still a brilliant time to buy and gives customers the opportunity to snap up a deal ahead of Christmas. That shouldn’t mean we can’t offer strong value year-round too – as these findings show, there are great deals to be had at other times too.

“We welcome scrutiny that helps customers make informed choices, and our focus remains the same, delivering great value every day of the year, not just on Black Friday.”

An Amazon spokesman said: “We offer customers great value all year round through everyday price-matching that ensures our prices are as low or lower than other relevant retailers on products sold by Amazon, as well as through fantastic seasonal deal events like Black Friday. While Which? analysed just 24 products, Amazon’s Black Friday event offered hundreds of thousands of deals to customers in the UK.”

A Currys spokesperson said: “We’re proud to be recognised for our Black Friday pricing transparency and share Which?’s commitment in holding the industry to a higher standard. Restoring consumer confidence has been a key focus for us, and it’s disappointing to see that others in the industry are still falling short. More work needs to be done in ensuring customers get the best, most trusted Black Friday deals on the high street.”

A Richer Sounds spokesman said: “Last year – as in previous years – to be transparent with our customers, we had a disclaimer on our website from early November until the close of our Black Friday promotion to say that anything marked as ‘Fantastic Black Friday Value’ may have been at a lower price, previously, but we were happy it still represented fantastic value.

“Where we marked up items as ‘our lowest price ever!’ they meant just that – we’d never sold an item for less. The market may move after Black Friday, and if this is the case, we will always look to pass any extra savings on to our customers.”

How to get the best deals, according to Which?

Create a wish list. Some retailers, such as Amazon and John Lewis, allow you to set up a wish list for all the items you want to purchase. This makes it easier to notice when their prices drop. You can then easily click into your list to see what’s on offer. It may help you stick to buying what you want, too, rather than getting distracted by flashing red offer signs.
Sign up for newsletters. Be the first to hear about discounts from retailers you like to shop with. You can also keep an eye out for extra reductions on your wish-listed items, those that you’ve left in your basket or even those you’ve clicked on.
Do your own price tracking. Sites such as PriceRunner and camelcamelcamel (for Amazon only) display price history, allowing you to check whether the price of a product is competitive. If you do this ahead of the sale day, you’ll know the price you’re looking for and what the limit is.
Loyalty schemes. Several big retailers have loyalty schemes with tailored pricing for members, including AO, Boots and Superdrug. Sign up before the sales period to make sure you can access the deals. It’s also worth checking how many points you’ve built up on your existing loyalty memberships, and when they expire. They can be a useful way to save a bit extra on those big Christmas list items.
Watch out for fakes. If a particular product is sought after by shoppers, then counterfeiters looking to capitalise on that may not be far behind. In recent investigations, Which? uncovered counterfeit electricals, clothing, toys and cosmetics for sale on online marketplaces. Be wary of any deal that seems too good to be true, and verify the identity of the seller and shipping provider.

The post John Lewis and Amazon slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’ first appeared on NewsWireExplorer.

John Lewis, Amazon and Argos slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’

Harry J — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:01:28 +0000

John Lewis, Amazon and Argos slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’ (Image: Getty)

Eight in 10 products advertised as Black Friday deals are the same price or cheaper at other times of the year, an annual study by Which? suggests.

The consumer champions compared prices on 175 home, technology and health appliances from eight major retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds, and Very – for six months either side of Black Friday last year to find that 83% were cheaper or the same on at least one other date outside of the four-week sales period.

Which? found 94% of products it analysed at John Lewis were the same price or cheaper at other times (Image: Getty)

At John Lewis, Which? found that 94% of the products it analysed were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

At Very, 93% of deals were the same price or cheaper outside of the Black Friday sales period.

At AO, Which? found that 85% of Black Friday deals offered during the four-week sales period were at the same price or better at other times of the year.

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At Argos, which also offers a price promise, Which? found that 79% of deals over the Black Friday sales period that researchers analysed were cheaper or the same price as at other times of the year.

Which? also found that Amazon’s Black Friday deals were either the same price or cheaper in 88% of cases, and cheaper in 63% of cases outside of the sales period.

The investigation also uncovered evidence that retailers appear to use Recommended Retail Prices (RRPs) to make a ‘deal’ seem more generous.

In contrast, Richer Sounds had by far the best performance in the analysis, with only 55% of analysed products found to be cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.

Argos said it believes its customers “should not feel pressured into a time-sensitive purchase” (Image: Getty)

“We welcome scrutiny that helps customers make informed choices, and our focus remains the same, delivering great value every day of the year, not just on Black Friday.”

An Argos spokeswoman said: “We believe our customers should not feel pressured into a time-sensitive purchase, and Which?’s report shows our Black Friday Price Promise in action. Last year, we offered Black Friday badged deals from November 1 and assured customers that these products were their lowest price for the last six months and would not be available for less before December 25.”

How to get the best deals, according to Which?

Create a wish list. Some retailers, such as Amazon and John Lewis, allow you to set up a wish list for all the items you want to purchase. This makes it easier to notice when their prices drop. You can then easily click into your list to see what’s on offer. It may help you stick to buying what you want, too, rather than getting distracted by flashing red offer signs.
Sign up for newsletters. Be the first to hear about discounts from retailers you like to shop with. You can also keep an eye out for extra reductions on your wish-listed items, those that you’ve left in your basket or even those you’ve clicked on.
Do your own price tracking. Sites such as PriceRunner and camelcamelcamel (for Amazon only) display price history, allowing you to check whether the price of a product is competitive. If you do this ahead of the sale day, you’ll know the price you’re looking for and what the limit is.
Loyalty schemes. Several big retailers have loyalty schemes with tailored pricing for members, including AO, Boots and Superdrug. Sign up before the sales period to make sure you can access the deals. It’s also worth checking how many points you’ve built up on your existing loyalty memberships, and when they expire. They can be a useful way to save a bit extra on those big Christmas list items.
Watch out for fakes. If a particular product is sought after by shoppers, then counterfeiters looking to capitalise on that may not be far behind. In recent investigations, Which? uncovered counterfeit electricals, clothing, toys and cosmetics for sale on online marketplaces. Be wary of any deal that seems too good to be true, and verify the identity of the seller and shipping provider.

The post John Lewis, Amazon and Argos slammed over Black Friday deals that ‘aren’t what they seem’ first appeared on NewsWireExplorer.

Major Coca-Cola Christmas truck announcement for 15 UK towns and cities

Harry J — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:22:14 +0000

The iconic Coca-Cola Truck has announced a new Christmas tour, with 15 stops across the UK confirmed. The dazzling red lorry, adorned with festive lights, is known to travel around the country each year, offering fans a taste of Coca-Cola’s drinks whilst spreading holiday cheer in the run-up to the global holiday.

Celebrating 15 years since its first journey, this year’s tour will visit 15 locations nationwide, inviting everyone to “Refresh Your Holidays”. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Coca-Cola will continue its partnership with FareShare, the UK’s leading food redistribution charity. To celebrate the truck’s return, Coca-Cola will make a direct donation to FareShare, equivalent to one million meals, supporting its vital work in providing edible food to those who need it most across the country, reports to The Mirror.

Coca-Cola is also partnering with Tesco to spread festive goodwill through the meal deal. For every Tesco Festive Meal Deal purchased with any 500ml Coca-Cola drink, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners will donate 20p to FareShare, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Elodie Peribere, Senior Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, said: “Coca-Cola remains synonymous with Christmas, and we’re delighted to bring back our iconic Truck Tour. This year, we’re encouraging everyone to ‘Refresh Your Holidays’ and take a well-deserved pause to create uplifting moments with loved ones”.

Peribere added: “Our continued partnership with FareShare, with our donation equivalent to 1 million meals, is incredibly important to us, and we hope to make this Christmas a little more meaningful for thousands of people across the country”.

The 15 locations included on the tour schedule are yet to be confirmed for 2025. Fans may recall that, after a six-year hiatus, the Coca-Cola Truck made its spectacular return to Liverpool’s Paradise Street in 2023, having previously called at Williamson Square. And last year, the legendary vehicle came back once again on December 5, this time setting up at a new location outside the Burger King opposite New Mersey Retail Park in Speke.

In a UK first, the Coca-Cola Truck made a second Liverpool stop the following day, December 6, at Liverpool ONE. Crowds gathered to glimpse the festive favourite, singing carols whilst they queued. During its 48-hour stay, visitors received complimentary gifts, competitions, and bundles of Christmas joy. Will Liverpool be on Coca-cola’s list again?

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Morrisons giving away free Christmas food this week – how to claim

Harry J — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:40:20 +0000

Christmas is soon approaching, and with it comes the opportunity to indulge in festive food — a British favourite being the mince pie. This Winter, Supermarket store Morrisons is set to launch its new tradition: National Mince Pie Day to welcome in the family period. Encouraging its customers to join in on the celebrations, Morrisons has declared November 22 to be its annual day for its Rich & Fruity treats.

The chain groccery store has declared to hand out a huge 50,000 pies to customers across the country to lucky customers this Saturday, selected stores will mark the day with gluten-free pies on hand too. Visitors just need to swing by their local need shop to get their hands on a mince pie.

Morrisons bakers have shared that they prepare a monumental 20 million freshly baked pies per year, working hard to maintain pie levels for all during the cold season. Unsurprisingly, the sweet treat is a sure hit with Brits, with nearly 10 million sold in December alone — that’s more than 12,000 pies bought per hour.

The build up to the new national day has led to recent research which states the mince pie to be the second most “official taste of Christmas”, just after the iconic roast turkey. With an average of six pies per citezen in December, it is no surprise that the pie is a universally celebrated favourite; Manchester scoring highest as the city where pies are eaten the most during Christmas, compared to everywhere else in the country.

The tradition, which saw minced meat in the Middle Ages to monstrous portions during Victorian period, is a constant and defiant part of history, also due to Oliver Cromwell having banned the product due to believing them to be a lavish and indulgent Christmas habit.

A British Food Historian, Neil Buttery, British Food Historian, commented: “The humble mince pie has been part of Britain’s Christmas foodie festivities since medieval times, so Christmas without them is simply unimaginable. As a food historian and chef who has baked many different types of mince pies from across the centuries, and loved them all, I’m so pleased that Morrisons is finally giving the festive treats the recognition they deserve with their own day”.

Mark Richmond, Head Chef at Morrisons, shared: “We wanted to give the nation a reason to smile and celebrate one of our most-loved festive bakes and we’ve done just that by launching National Mince Pie Day and giving away 50,000 pies. Having hundreds of expert bakers working hard all-year round to prepare millions of pies across the UK and a variety available for all tastebuds, makes us best placed to celebrate the mince pie! National Mince Pie Day will help spread a little early Christmas cheer and make sure everyone can enjoy a taste of the season, on us!”.

With 10 varieties on offer this year, Morrisons is adamant there is a perfect pie for everyone. Flavours include: The Best Signature Collection; The Best Caramel Apple Crumble; The Best Cherry Bakewell; and even the Shortcrust (now reduced to £1.50 in the build-up to Christmas).

Note that More Card members who shop in-store on National Mince Pie Day (Saturday 22nd November) will be gifted an additional coupon at the till holding 500 More Points when they buy any Mince Pie in store. This has only one week to redeem. Visit thw Morrisons blog to find out which store is celebrating near you.

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