Retail news round-up: Tesco set to discard 5p plastic bags and Ikea names new chief executive

Tesco set to discard 5p plastic bags

Customers at a small number of Tesco stores in the UK will no longer be able to buy 5p “single-use” plastic carrier bags, the Guardian reports.

The British retailer has launched the 10-week trial in three stores – in Aberdeen, Dundee and Norwich – to see how shoppers cope without the 5p bag option.

Shoppers who arrive without a bag will still be able to buy a reusable bag, prices for which start at 10p.

A spokesperson from Tesco said: “We are carrying out a short trial in a few stores to look at the impact on bag usage if we remove single-use carrier bags.”

If implemented it would lead to the disposable bags being phased out, less than two years after the law was changed in England to force larger stores to charge for them.

Ikea names new chief executive

Ikea has named Jesper Brodin as its new chief executive following Peter Agnefjall decision to quit, the BBC reports.

Brodin joined Ikea in 1995 and is currently managing director of Ikea Sweden.

He will take his new role from September.