British Retail Consortium releases Christmas trading statement

Responding to the latest CPI inflation figures which shows headline inflation at 10.7%, and food inflation at 16.4%, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “It will undoubtedly be a challenging Christmas period for many households throughout the UK. 

"Not only are the costs of food and gifts up on last year, but bills are up 27% too. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine continues to put pressure on energy and food prices, meaning there's little sign inflation will ease significantly soon.

“To combat inflation, retailers are investing hundreds of millions into lower prices for the future, as well as finding ways to keep the cost of Christmas down for their customers. This includes freezing the price of many essentials, offering discounts to vulnerable groups, raising pay for their own staff, and expanding their value ranges.”

"Keep up the great recycling work this Christmas" says WRAP

Christmas can be pricey at the best of times, and this year budgets are likely to be tighter, so Love Food Hate Waste is sharing festive food waste prevention tips that can help save you money by making your Yuletide food go further.

Delicious new meals can be easily made from Christmas leftovers. Last Christmas the UK’s most searched for recipe was Boxing Day bubble and squeak.

Recycle Now tackles the most common Christmas recycling niggles to rid your home of packaging and wrapping responsibly.

Climate action NGO WRAP is using the run up to Christmas to help us save money by avoiding food waste, and have a greener Christmas via its Love Food Hate Waste and Recycle Now citizen campaigns, across social media.

Each year in the UK, something like 6.6 million tonnes of food go to waste from our homes over the twelve months. This is by far the most significant amount of food waste overall, with 70% of the UK’s total food waste coming from our own homes. 

This costs households around £14 billion a year, or £730 for an average family. It produces 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and what’s more, a whopping 4.5 million tonnes is food that could have been eaten. 2 million tonnes of which wasn’t used in time.

Of this annual total food waste, the amount of poultry thrown away in one year could make 800 million Boxing Day curries. Enough potatoes are binned annually to make roasties for Christmas Day for the whole country, for 48 years. And the amount of carrots thrown away every year by UK homes could feed Santa’s nine reindeers a carrot a day, for nearly half a million years!

Each Christmas, thousands of households take time during the festive break to log on to Love Food Hate Waste to look for a tasty recipes to stop leftover festive foods going to waste, and for tips on how to freeze and reuse uneaten food items with the annual Ultimate guide to Christmas food planning.

Boxing Day is the busiest day for home chefs who are looking for inspiration to transform leftovers into tasty stomach fillers. Searches range from recipe ideas to use up classic Christmas staples, to guidance on freezing leftover meat. 

The Love Food Hate Waste Portion Planner can help save money by guiding people towards the best number of parsnips and other trimmings to serve, no matter the number of guests. The A to Z Storage Guide is the best Christmas present in terms of helping to keep any food in top condition for as long as possible, with WRAP showing earlier this year that fresh produce can stay fresher for longer in the fridge. With refrigerated apples lasting two and a half months longer than those in a fruit bowl!

Poultry is number eight in the top ten most wasted foods in the UK. 100,000 tonnes of poultry end up in the bin every year. Most is chicken, the nation’s favourite meat, but at Christmas it is all about turkey. Leftover turkey can be stored in the fridge for up to two days, but turkeys usually produce more than a couple of days’ worth of leftovers. Freeze the excess turkey and defrost either in the fridge or using the microwave on the defrost setting directly before re-heating. The golden rule? Only re-heat once.

Fresh vegetables and salad are the most wasted food group in the UK. We waste a horrifying 1.3 million tonnes of perfectly good fresh veggies and salads every year, costing £2.7 billion. Swapping highly wasted fresh foods for frozen options (’swaptions’) could help to reduce food waste. They last for months and you can use as much as you need when you need it. Frozen vegetables (including your brussel sprouts) can be cooked from frozen. Top tip - when preparing fresh veg for freezing, blanch in boiling water for a few minutes and plunge into cold water before freezing them.

With the festive season upon us, there are lots of culinary treats to be enjoyed this month and local produce is still coming in fresh from the fields during December. Christmas vegetables will need to be used up so read the latest blog for festive seasonal meal planning inspiration What’s good to eat this month? – December.

Christmas WRAPping

During the festive period – and on any day of the year – you can find out EXACTLY what can and can’t be recycled in your area using Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator. This is the best way to manage the influx of Christmas packaging and wrapping and help Recycle right this Christmas.

Visits to Recycle Now and searches for the ‘twelve most commonly queried items’ rise significantly between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, showing that as a nation we like to have our recycling sorted nice and early in the New Year. By far the most queried Christmas questions is what to do with your Christmas tree, then decorations and packaging, and finally the faulty Christmas lights? Recycle Now expects the same high volume of visits to its Recycling Locator this year, for advice on what and where to recycle – anywhere in the UK.

Top tips for Christmas recycling

Do the wrapping paper scrunch test to see if you can recycle it. If it springs back, it contains plastic and can’t be recycled. Paper and Christmas cards covered in glitter are NOT recyclable. Remember to also remove ribbons, bows, batteries, and other adornments before recycling. 

If you buy a tree that still has its roots attached, you can plant it out in the garden so you can enjoy it throughout the year as well as for future Christmases. If you don’t have space for it, or if you’ve bought a cut tree that no longer has its roots, your local council is likely to have a collection point or may even pick up your tree from your home in the New Year (check your local council’s website). 

Trees can be recycled into wood chips or shredded and composted. If you have a fake tree, this can’t be recycled, but they can be reused! Charities, care homes and so on will often take artificial trees, and if they’re in good condition, they could also be resold at a charity shop or online.

Flatten cardboard boxes to make more room in your recycling bin, bag or box. 

Empty, rinse and squash plastic bottles and pop the lid back on. 

Buy recyclable Christmas Crackers and avoid single use plastic gift crackers and those covered in glitter as these cannot be recycled. 

https://wrap.org.uk

Christmas trainspotting special on Channel 4

Earlier this year, Channel 4 sensationally hit the rails with trainspotter and viral sensation Francis Bourgeois as he and some of Britain’s favourite celebrities embarked on a wild trainspotting adventure across the UK.

Now Francis is back in tome to celebrate the festive season aboard the locomotives in this one-off digital original, produced by Untold Studios.

Joining for some Christmas cheer is Olympic champion diver Tom Daley who’ll be swapping the diving pool and knitting needles for the railways as he joins Francis for a magical and heart-warming Christmas expedition.

They’ll be thrown into an eye-opening adventure across London that will lead them into all sorts of mischief, from space hopping through Clapham Junction to spreading joy with railway inspired gifts to and a festive finale at Waterloo Station, resulting in one of the most embarrassing moments of Tom Daley’s life so far.

There’s even better news for fans of the series – it has also been extended by a further three episodes, with Francis’ celeb explorers yet to be announced.

The Christmas special of Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois will be available to stream on Channel 4’s YouTube on 22nd December.

Charlie Hyland said: “We’ve been absolutely blown away by the success of Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois, so we couldn’t be more delighted we’ve commissioned a festive special with Tom Daley airing this Christmas, alongside a brand-new bunch of episodes that will air in the new year. I can’t wait to see who else will be joining Francis on his travels”

Executive Producer Jonathan Levene said: “There is never a dull moment when you’re trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois. His unapologetic outlook and ability to find joy in the most unexpected of places is charming and hilarious, and we can't wait to get back on the railway for more adventures in 2023! We’ve got some exciting surprises planned for Francis’ guests, but in the meantime, we can’t wait to share Francis and Tom Daley spreading some festive joy in the Christmas special.”

Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois was created and Exec Produced by Francis Bourgeois, Jonathan Levene and Iona Goulder at Untold Studios and commissioned by Charlie Hyland, Channel 4’s Digital Commissioning Editor, Comedy.

How to reuse Christmas trees

We are being offered advice on how to reuse and make the most of their real Christmas tree after holidays are over. 

Experts at Gardening Express have looked into the creative and eco-friendly ways that dried out Christmas trees can be put to good use at home and in the garden. 

Many real Christmas trees find their way to landfill after the festivities are over, but there are a number of better ways the needles, branches and wood from the tree can be repurposed and reused. 

From mulch to decorations, upcycling the dying tree will have many beneficial uses around the garden and home. 

Chris Bonnett, the founder of Gardening Express said: “There’s so much more that can be done with your real Christmas tree besides merely throwing them away. 

“Once the tree has fulfilled its festive purpose, it can be recycled and used for gardening, supporting wildlife or even raft projects.

“Extending the life of your Christmas tree won't only allow you to make the most of it, but it’s also good for the environment, too.”

Here are seven ways to reuse Christmas trees from the team at Gardening Express: 

Make mulch

Take advantage of all the organic matter from the Christmas tree by turning it into natural mulch. Pine wood and needles are excellent mulch-making materials. Let the tree dry, put the branches into a shredder and let the wood chips rot before using them to mulch around trees and shrubs. If you don’t have a wood chipper then pine needles work well also since they dry quickly but decompose slowly. 

Use wood chips for paths

If you shredded the tree into wood chips for mulching then you can also save some to fill in the garden paths. A layer of wood chips will keep away weeds, hold moisture in the soil and create texture in the garden. 

Use branches as insulation

Pine branches can be used to protect tender plants from the frost. Chop large branches from the tree and lay them on the soil to provide insulation and limit the thawing and freezing of the soil.

Create a wildlife shelter

You can attract and support wildlife by letting the tree sit in the garden over winter. This will provide a shelter for little animals and birds to nestle in during harsh weather conditions. You can also hang bird food, slices of fruit or seed cakes on the branches to provide some snacks for the wildlife. 

Make garden and home décor

There are countless of DIY decorations you can craft using different elements of the tree. For example, you can make a beautiful wreath from the branches that can be hung on your door all year long. You’ll just need some binding wire, scissors, glue and any extra decorations you’d like to see on your wreath. 

Make fragrant sachets

The needles from your Christmas tree have a fresh, wintery scent, making them excellent additions to fragrant sachets. Just add the fallen needles to small bags and tie a ribbon around the top. The sachets could be placed in wardrobes and drawers for a fresh scent, they’re also great gifts to give to loved ones. 

Use branches as plant stakes

Strip the branches of needles and use them to support tender and young plants during winter winds and frosts. To prevent injuring the roots, plant the stakes about 2 to 3 inches from the plant's stem. Keep in mind to set the stake at an angle to give the plant more protection from winds. 

https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk.

From Giles Hurley CEO – Aldi UK and IRE

Dear Customer,

With Christmas nearly upon us, I am writing to let you know what Aldi is doing to help make the big day special this year.

Unbeatable value

We know that lots of our customers are worried about the rising cost of living, so we have been working hard all year to keep prices as low as possible and do all we can to support our customers, colleagues and communities.

But don’t take our word for it – consumer champion Which? recently revealed that the traditional Big Four full-price supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – are 16% more expensive than Aldi on a basket of 48 everyday grocery items.

For the main event this year, Aldi has once again cut the price of our fresh turkeys. Whole birds are available from £3.99 per kilo, meaning you can get a delicious, 100% British turkey for as little as £7.98, while prices for fresh, Class A British turkey breast crowns start from just £7.64.

We also offer amazing value on Christmas dinner veg essentials. This week’s Super 6 deal includes potatoes for just 15p, with carrots, brussels sprouts, parsnips, swede and cabbage at 19p each.

We are thrilled to be named Best Christmas Retailer at the Quality Food Awards, too.

Store opening times   

This week our stores will be open for longer to make it even easier for you to pick up what you need during the festive period.

And, as always, we close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to make sure our amazing, hard-working colleagues can celebrate and enjoy time with their own families and loved ones.

Supporting communities during the cost-of-living crisis

Our thoughts are with those who may be struggling this Christmas and Aldi has launched an Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund worth £250,000 to support charities, foodbanks and community groups across the country.

We will also once again be donating surplus unsold food to local charities and foodbanks once stores close on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as part of our long-established partnership with Neighbourly.

I want to take this opportunity, on behalf of everyone at Aldi, to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Giles Hurley

CEO – Aldi UK and IRE

Aldi launches big winter clearance sale with savings of over 50%

Supermarket, Aldi, has today announced a HUGE ‘Big Winter Clearance Sale’, with reductions across hundreds of Specialbuy products. 

With impressive deals on toys, homeware and festive decorations, shoppers can make savings of over 50% this holiday season. Launching today (Thursday 22nd December), Aldi’s Big Winter Clearance Sale is sure to be popular with Specialbuy fans, so shoppers will need to be quick to grab a bargain, because as with all Specialbuys, once they’re gone, they’re gone!

With everything from kids’ toys and pet accessories to Flannel Pyjamas (£6.99), 4PK Cocktail Glasses (£6.99) for the adults, there is something for everyone in Aldi’s Big Winter Clearance Sale – available online now www.aldi.co.uk

Wishing your pets a very furry Christmas!

A new study from Co-op Insurance shows that despite the UKs rising cost of living, we're set to spend an average of up to £873 million on presents for pets including dogs and cats this Christmas, as four-fifths (82%) of pet owners plan to spoil their beloved cats and dogs, by spending up to £50 on gifts as part of the festivities this year.

Despite the pinch, three-fifths (61%) of cat and dog owners agree they like to spend money on their pets at Christmas, and this year they won’t be cutting back. 

But unfortunately, it looks like Aunties and Uncles are set to lose out, as two fifths (40%) of those planning to spend up to £50 on pets say they won’t spend anything on gifts for their extended family.

Over three-fifths (62%) of dogs and cats in the UK will be receiving their own Christmas present this year, with over a nearly a quarter (23%) set to feed their pet from their own Christmas Dinner plate. Some pet owners (4%) are even go so far as giving their pets Christmas card - despite pets not being able to read!

Ways people include their pets at Christmas time:

They give them Christmas presents (62%)

They give them special Christmas toys (43%)

They give them more food treats (43%)

They go on a special Christmas walk (25%)

Make their pet a special Christmas meal with leftovers (27%)

Feed their pet from their own Christmas Dinner plate (23%)

They give them an advent calendar (15%)

They let their pets sit at the dinner table (13%)

They put them in a Christmas Jumper (8%)

They're allowed to sleep in owner's bed (7%)

They give them a Christmas card (4%)

The new data also points towards a rise in Empty Nest Syndrome, with 91% of pet owners 55 and over saying they are planning to buy their furry friend a Christmas gift. This is compared to 84% of those aged 25-34 and 64% of Gen Z animal lovers.

With over a quarter (27%) of dog and cat owners planning to make their pet a special Christmas meal with leftovers, be warned, it’s sharing Christmas leftovers that can pose unwanted health problems.

 From pet poisonings, to gaining a few extra pounds, a pet's wellbeing can be negatively impacted. The most common heart conditions in pets are linked back to obesity, so be certain to re-think the offerings this year, and opt for something healthier. 

It’s vital to do the research and avoid popular festive ingredients causing poisoning in animals, such as chocolate, grapes, garlic, onions, and even poinsettias.

Andrew Nevitt at Head of Co-op Pet Insurance said: "Despite the cost of living, it seems we’re still a nation looking to include our pets in family traditions, with Christmas being a time when pet owners obviously want to make sure their dogs and cats are included in our celebrations.

"Our research confirms how much our pets really mean to us, so although it’s vital to many to include their pets in Christmas and in many cases take the opportunity to spoil their pets, it’s important to keep our furry friends safe. So keep them away from those Christmas chocolates!

“Despite the festivities, we also advise animal lovers to closely monitor their pets’ food intake, as their weight and appetite can be the tell tale signs of several health concerns. Overfeeding your pet at Christmas, or offering them a one-off taste of human food, may do more harm to them than initially thought, so it’s best to stick to treats specifically manufactured for them in order to avoid unwanted trips to the vet this winter.”

For more information about Co-op Pet Insurance plans, which includes 24/7 access to vets online, visit: https://www.coop.co.uk/insurance/pet-insurance

(Image courtesy of Oli R and Pixabay)