Steve Farrell
Steve is deputy news editor at The Grocer.
He’s responsible for covering the discounters and retail property, and for commissioning and editing The Grocer’s analysis features. He has over 20 years' experience as a journalist, during which his by line has appeared regularly in a range of national newspapers.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 846613
- Email:
- steve.farrell@thegrocer.co.uk
NewsM&S hosting careers events for ex-military personnel
The retailer is working with the Career Transition Partnership, the official provider of armed forces resettlement, to showcase career opportunities across its business
NewsLidl increases sales of own-label plant-based products and milk alternatives by 700%
The supermarket has by far surpassed a targeted 400% increase in five years
NewsAldi raises stakes again in battle to be UK’s highest-paying supermarket
It is the latest twist in a pay bidding war with Lidl
NewsLidl secures investor offer to fund construction of 35 stores across UK and Europe
Lidl is aiming to complete the deal this financial year, ending in February 2026, to accelerate its expansion programme
NewsPoundland restructure plan receives High Court approval
‘Today’s decision is vitally important for Poundland, allowing us to stabilise the business, securing the future of hundreds of stores and thousands of jobs,’ said Poundland MD Barry Williams
NewsAldi gifts £350,000 of its Apprenticeship Levy to the Teenage Cancer Trust
The funding is to help workers develop in their current roles by gaining new skills and industry-recognised qualifications relevant to their area of expertise
NewsM&S reopens Oxford Street Foodhall after four-month makeover
New features at the 19,400 sq ft Foodhall include a hot chicken counter, sourdough pizza bar and coffee shop
NewsPoundland will run out of money in days if restructure plan is not approved, lawyer tells court
Tom Smith KC said: ‘The latest liquidity forecast shows that the group will run out of cash in the week ending 7 September 2025’
NewsM&S launches ‘pre-loved’ clothes shop on eBay
Customers can get a voucher worth £5 off £35 by returning M&S-labelled clothing they no longer wear
NewsSupermarket chiefs warn Chancellor of rising inflation if shops are hit with higher business rates
The chiefs of Aldi, Asda, JLP, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are among 60 retail bosses to have signed the letter to Rachel Reeves
NewsM&S to spend £340m on massive new automated food DC in Northamptonshire
The facility at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal will span 1.3 million sq ft and represents M&S’s biggest supply chain investment in its history
NewsLidl agrees to steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace after tribunal finds it fell short
It comes after an employment tribunal found Lidl GB had failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of a young female employee by a staff member between 2019 and 2021
Comment & OpinionWhat makes Poundland MD Barry Williams think the £1 concept can still work?
A pound today equates to 40p when Poundland first opened in 1990. So why is Williams still chasing the price point?
NewsLidl calls on other supermarkets to do more to signpost healthy and sustainable choices
The discounter is claiming a UK supermarket first with the launch of a logo to indicate healthier food choices with sustainability as part of its criteria
NewsPoundland MD Barry Williams on returning to £1 basics to win back shoppers
Poundland has begun rebooting its store proposition as it prepares for the recovery phase of its turnaround
NewsAldi revamping Shop & Go store to add self-checkouts
The changes at the store in Greenwich are due to be unveiled tomorrow, 20 August, when it reopens after closing on 4 August for the upgrades
NewsPoundland names the date it will stop selling online and close its loyalty app
The digital retreat is part of a restructuring process under new owner Gordon Brothers, the investment firm that bought Poundland from Pepco Group in June
NewsM&S advertising 400 store roles as online recruitment gets back up to pace
M&S suspended online recruitment as it took systems offline in the week after discovering a major cyberattack on 19 April
Comment & OpinionThe Big Pound Shop Swap: ‘eat worse for less’ with Denise van Outen
The programme may provide some welcome escapism for families struggling to make ends meet
NewsAldi releases full list of stores getting upgrades this year, including major extensions
They include two – in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and Ebbw Vale in Wales – which are undergoing major extensions