The Pick List

Julia and Laura are joined by Tessa Stuart, a self-proclaimed ‘shopper stalker’ who interviews hundreds of food shoppers a year, right there as they are buying in supermarkets.  

They discuss Amazon Fresh’s aggressive expansion plans for the UK (including that eye-catching move to offer free grocery delivery), why violence against shop workers has got worse during the pandemic and why so many fmcg giants – including Heinz and PepsiCo – are now selling direct to consumers.

Plus, they chat about a heartrending account of how coronavirus has devastated winemakers in the Alsace region of France – and why the German city of Cologne plans to become an ‘edible city’.

To learn more about Julia’s ‘open office hours’ in August and book a 30-minute chat, go here.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

‘Amazon plans big expansion of UK online grocery service’ | The Guardian

‘Of wine, hand sanitiser and heartbreak’ | New York Times

‘Is violence against UK shopworkers getting worse in the pandemic?’ | The Grocer

‘The world’s leading brands jump on the direct-selling bandwagon’ | The Economist

‘Cologne’s edible city plan is a roadmap for cultivating local food ecologies’ | Mold

‘Sausage maker shifts to compostable packaging’ | Food Manufacture

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Laura and Julia discuss Morrisons’ move to a four-day working week for staff at their HQ, Tesco’s innovative refillable packaging trial with Loop, the future of click & collect in the wake of Covid and a landmark UK project to create animal feed from air (well, sort of).

Plus, they chat about what lessons corporate op ed writers can draw from James Timpson’s latest Sunday Times column – and discover why the cake meme that’s been making the rounds on the internet is so irresistible.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

‘Tipping point: can the pandemic reignite grocery click & collect?’ | The Grocer

‘Huge Morrisons shake-up means four-day working week for 1,500 head office staff’ | Yorkshire Post

‘The UK Launches Nine Ag and Food Tech Projects, Including ‘Air Protein’ Consortium Called REACT-FIRST’ | The Spoon

‘Tesco supports online refillable container scheme’ | NAM News

‘Why It’s Unsettling That Anything Could Be Cake, According to Science’ | Smithsonian Magazine

‘In a world of uncertainty for SMEs, kindness is key’ | James Timpson

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Julia and Laura are joined by Cat Gazzoli, founder of the Piccolo brand of food for babies and toddlers. They chat about what ‘back to school’ ranges and promotions will look like this autumn and why Cat thinks it’s time UK grocery retailers started offering dedicated kids food aisles, why polenta has emerged as the new on-trend carb and why Diageo chose Johnnie Walker to debut its innovative new paper bottle.

Plus, they talk about what the future holds for Nespresso in light of packaging waste concerns and growing competition from cheaper competitors, why frozen food sales continue to grow in the wake of the pandemic – and how the outbreak has taught us that ‘food is glue’.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

In Egypt, volunteers make meals with love for virus patients | New York Times

How Nespresso’s coffee revolution got ground down | The Guardian

Frozen sales continue to surge as sector outperforms fresh and chilled | Food Navigator

Bunker food: why I reached for my Nonna’s polenta recipe | FT Magazine

Once a reliable event, back-to-school shopping is about to dramatically change | Modern Retail

Diageo to launch Johnnie Walker whisky in paper bottles in 2021 | Reuters

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Julia and Laura are joined by Adam Bedford, NFU regional director for the North East of England. They discuss why supermarket profits have been less than super despite the coronavirus sales boom, what the rise in remote working means for office lunch specialists such as Pret a Manger and what the UK can learn from Singapore's push for vertical farming.

Plus, they chat about an innovative social platform that allows workers to campaign for better working conditions and what the grocery store of the future might look like.

You can find Julia's report on the circular economy post-Covid here.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

‘Supermarkets expect flat profits despite a rise in sales’ | FT

‘Organise, a platform for worker rights, raises £570K seed funding led by Ada Ventures | TechCrunch

‘Who died for your dinner?’ | Buzzfeed

‘How have UK supermarkets fared in Oxfam’s latest human rights rankings?’ | The Grocer

‘Pret a Manger to close 30 stores and could cut more than 1,000 jobs’ | The Guardian

‘Pret a Manger: city worker’s favourite lunch stop on the brink’ | The Sunday Times

‘The rise of the rooftop farmer’ | The Economist

‘British workers try their hand at an unfamiliar job: berry picking’ | The New York Times

‘The future of grocery stores’ | Forbes

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Laura and Julia discuss how consumer attitudes to buying fresh produce online have changed in the wake of coronavirus, what the rise of dark kitchens means for restaurants and why some of the world’s biggest fmcg advertisers have pulled the plug on their social media ad campaigns.

Plus, they chat about what post-Covid range rationalisation means for consumer choice and why scientists are trying to grow chilli peppers in space.

You can find out more about the online grocery webinar Julia is hosting and register here.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

‘Soren Bjorn says online grocery shopping is here to stay’| Quartz

‘Why the American consumer has fewer choices – maybe for good’ | Wall Street Journal

‘Our ghost kitchen future’ | The New Yorker

‘Coronavirus: consumers buy local’ | Food Manufacture

‘Up next for the astronaut’s diet: space peppers’ | The Spoon

‘Starbucks suspends social media ads over hate speech’ | BBC News

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Julia and Laura are joined by Julia Kessler, co-founder of soft drinks brand Nix&Kix. They chat about the continuing controversy over the use of terms such as ‘milk’ for plant-based alternatives, how the UK food supply chain coped during Covid-19, Morrisons’ move into hot takeaway food, the role of AWS in Amazon’s global empire and Ahold Delhaize’s first human rights report.

Plus, Julia shares her experience of running a small fmcg brand during the coronavirus outbreak and why she thinks the crisis has created a greater sense of community within the industry.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Why alt milk isn’t milk according to the EU | The Vegan Review

From panic buying to food banks: how Britain fed itself in the first phase of coronavirus | The Observer

Ahold Delhaize releases first human rights report | Supermarket News

Reopened pubs in England may require drinkers to check in | The Guardian

Can Amazon keep growing like a youthful startup? | The Economist

Morrisons becomes first supermarket to sell hot café takeaways | The Independent

WATCH: BBC Two documentary on Keeping Britain Fed, as mentioned by Laura

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Laura and Julia are joined by Vince Bamford, editor of British Baker. They chat about the rise of hyper-local shopping in the wake of Covid-19, how Harrods has changed its iconic department store as it reopens after lockdown, hatching ducklings from eggs bought in Waitrose and an eye-catching new retail concept that's being trialled by Dr Oetker in Germany. Plus, Vince shares his experience of reporting on the bakery sector during the coronavirus crisis and what it's been like to be asked about flour all the time.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Coronavirus has shown us a solution to the food climate crisis | Wired

Coronavirus: Five ways shopping will be different from now on | BBC

Harrods reopens after lockdown with a 72-hour quarantine for rejected dresses and a ban on makeovers | The Sunday Times

How a woman managed to hatch ducks from eggs bought in Waitrose | iNews

Purina claims first with Pro Plan allergen-reducing catfood | The Grocer

Dr Oetker: Gastro-Konzept für den Handel startet | food-service.de

VIDEO: Dr Oetker's iconic 'Frau Renate' ad campaign from 1950s Germany

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Julia and Laura discuss a fascinating account of how livestreamers are driving product sales in China (P&G are among the big brand owners to get involved), what’s next for Iceland now that Malcolm Walker and Tarsem Dhaliwal have taken control and how an ingenious silk coating could help prevent food waste. Plus, they chat about the outlook for the UK foodservice sector between now and 2025 and explore the hidden history of chilli powder.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

The world’s livestream queen can sell anything | Bloomberg Businessweek

Live-streaming helped China’s farmers survive the pandemic. It’s here to stay | MIT Technology Review

Foodservice back to normal by 2025 | Fresh Produce Journal

MIT startup wraps food in silk for better shelf life | MIT News

Sir Malcolm Walker finally gets his hands on Iceland | The Times

The politics of the spice rack: chili powder | New Statesman

Shopper confidence remains low; trust in the food industry still high | NAM News

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Laura and Julia talk about Nestlé’s new tie-up with Deliveroo, why European retailers are at risk of falling behind the US and China on ecommerce, how tech could help pubs reopen post-Covid, the future of plant-based seafood alternatives and how punters in Germany and Malaysia have had to adapt while eating out in the age of social distancing.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Coronavirus: UK farmers face brutal test ahead of Brexit | Financial Times

Julie Ashfield on how Aldi has stayed calm amid the coronavirus | The Grocer

Here’s how pubs can finally reopen | Wired UK

Gloves, masks and red tape: what it's like to eat out in a pandemic | The Guardian

Nestlé launches snack delivery service in UK with Deliveroo | FoodBev Media

European retailers are falling behind in the “new normal” | Sifted

Vegan seafood: The next plant-based meat trend? | BBC Worklife

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Laura and Julia are joined by Richard Tufton, national sales manager for grass-fed beef at Meyer Natural Foods. They chat about how the coronavirus outbreak has affected meat sales and shopper behaviour in the US, get his first-hand experience of Walmart’s kerbside grocery pick-up service and discuss some fascinating research from New Zealand on how store design might need to adapt in the wake of the pandemic.

A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Trump floats halt to US cattle imports as pandemic hurts ranchers | New York Times

Coronavirus has turned retail therapy into retail anxiety – keeping customers calm will be key to carrying on | The Conversation

Farewell for now to a golden age of drinking | The Economist

America is cooking and meat sales are up | IRI Growth Insights

Walmart’s US boss expects coronavirus to alter shopping permanently | Wall Street Journal

‘People were like animals!’ How supermarket staff watched the coronavirus crisis unfold | The Guardian

Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk

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