Retail news round-up: Tesco-Booker adviser wins contracts with regulator, Co-op group commits to 100% Fairtrade cocoa in its products

Tesco-Booker adviser wins contract with regulator

Frontier Economics, which is helping to make the competition case for the Tesco-Booker merger, has raised concerns after winning a contract with the regulator, The Times reported.

The consultancy has been awarded work with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the body under pressure to launch a formal investigation into the tie-up.

Frontier’s founder Simon Gaysford denied there was a potential conflict of interest as the contract with the CMA was not in the retail sector and did not relate to a merger.

Co-op group announces 100% Fairtrade cocoa in products

The Co-operative Group has announced that from May 2017, 100% of the cocoa it buys for its products will be Fairtrade, The Belfast Telegraph reported.

It has become the first UK retailer to use only Fairtrade cocoa in its products.

The company is sourcing products from more than 20 countries and supporting around 250,000 farmers.

The new commitment will mean that more than 200 products will use Fairtrade cocoa, from the sprinkles on its doughnuts to chocolate tortes.