The economic fog
It’s hard to see a way through the confusion cast by Brexit
Wednesday 02 October 2019Report
Our latest Top 150 report, produced in partnership with The Grocer, shows the UK food and drink industry under pressure. As currency-driven input inflation and rising labour costs continue to squeeze margins, the prolonged run-up to Brexit is weighing heavily on food and soft drink producers. Amidst this there are some green shoots of recovery for the largest branded producers who have seen growth improve after years of underperformance, suggesting that some of the efforts they have been making to innovate, evolve their portfolios and adopt the full range of digital activation tools are having an impact.
Amidst the economic fog of Brexit the strongest producers are making their own fortunes. Our five top performers; Coca-Cola European Partners, Finlays, McCain, Nichols and Scottish Sea Farms, show that with the right combination of positioning to capitalise on structural trends and great execution they can succeed despite testing conditions and significant uncertainty.
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On the edge
With inflation in raw materials and rising labour costs squeezing margins, the anticipatory impact of Brexit is already being felt large across the UK food and drink industry as shown in our 2018 OC&C Food and Drink Top 150 report
Kill or cure
As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. UK food and drink producers under siege from stagnant growth, falling prices and tightening margins have been desperate for these grim market fundamentals to change
Foraging for new growth
Which way is growth? Sales and profit growth has slumped, the latest OC&C Index for The Grocer reveals, but own-label is finding its way more successfully through a changed landscape than the brands
False dawn
In the toughest grocery retail conditions for a generation, it's not scale so much as fleetness of foot that counts, reveals the latest OC&C Top 150
On the rebound
It's not just the Premiership that's being taken over by foreign players. Over the last 10 years, UK-based ownership of the Top 150 food & drink suppliers has declined significantly
Land of the giants
The fight for survival rages on in food & drink. And this year’s OC&C Top 150 reveals that the UK’s biggest manufacturers are standing tall
Trading blows
It’s been a bruising year for food and drink suppliers but the winners were those who attacked their cost base and packed a punch with ads and NPD
Only the strong thrive
It’s been a turbulent year for the top 150 suppliers, with inflation and recession both hitting manufacturing hard. The big brands are rising to the challenge, but own label and smaller branded companies are struggling
Feeling the squeeze
As the cost of living rises and daily news reports continue to flood us with glum tales of inflation in the price of food, fuel and interest rates, good news is certainly at a premium