Up-to-date coverage of the latest events in UK retail.

Tesco boss Lewis rules out stocking chlorinated chicken

Tesco boss Dave Lewis has shunned the idea of stocking chlorinated chicken post-Brexit after claiming consumers have no interest in sacrificing food standards for lower prices.

Lewis said Tesco’s own research has revealed that shoppers disliked the idea of bringing back farming and food processing techniques that had been phased out over safety and animal welfare concerns.

Speaking at the Financial Times Future of Retail conference, Lewis said: “When we test things with our customers they are really quite vocal about what it is they do and don’t want. So when people talk about let’s go back to genetically modified foods or chlorinated chicken, if you have that conversation with UK customers, then they reject it. As a retailer we will have to respect what people want.”

Hobbycraft sales spike

Hobbycraft has posted a jump in half-year sales as it focuses on transforming its stores into “social centres”.

The arts and crafts specialist recorded a 9% uplift in like-for-like sales during the six months to August 18. Total sales advanced 11% to £81.9m, while ecommerce sales spiked 25.1%.

Hobbycraft said increased Kids Craft Club workshops and Art Demos attracted more than 85,000 people to its stores. The retailer also rolled out ‘Custom Crafting’ zones to 10 of its stores during the half.

Boss Dominic Jordan said: “While the retail environment remains challenging, we are seeing new crafting trends helping to drive growth both in store and online. We continue to focus on offering great value with excellent customer service and to provide quality service and inspiration to customers.”