Latest news with #OcadoRetail
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
It's an egg-mergency! British parents blame the Easter Bunny for missing chocolate
It's a sticky situation but there's no need for an Easter meltdown. From blaming the bunny to light-fingered leprechauns, British parents have no end of excuses for 'vanishing' eggs which they've secretly snaffled themselves. This year, a little extra help is on hand from Ocado, which has launched a free Eggmergency Service for those with an empty sweet stash and a guilty conscience. Operating in London and Leeds, the special delivery will replace pilfered treats with five fresh chocolate eggs - three for the kids and two extra indulgent ones for parents. Laura Harricks, chief customer officer at Ocado Retail, says: "We think parents deserve to enjoy Easter just as much as the kids, so we're doing what we can to make sure that happens this year. "Convenient doorstep deliveries are what we do at Ocado, so we're well placed to give the Easter bunny a helping hand and take the pressure off parents." The UK's largest online supermarket launched the delivery service after research found nearly two-thirds of parents admit to poaching their kids' chocolate eggs despite 75% vowing not to. With half caught red-handed, 20% scrambling to buy last-minute replacements and 29% blaming their partner, it seems that our chocolate obsession knows no bounds. It can also be a cause of holiday stress, with 39% arguing with their partner after discovering they'd eaten the children's Easter eggs. To be in the running to receive a visit from the Eggmergency Service, parents just need to confess their sweet slip-ups here: Applications are open now and close at 23.59am on 9 April, with five winners in London and five in Leeds notified on 10 April. Ocado is donating one meal to food charity The Felix Project for every purchase of selected Easter eggs made between 26 February and 25 March this year. Best excuses for 'missing' Easter eggs: The Easter bunny took it back because you didn't say thank you A chocolate-loving leprechaun borrowed it It got lost Your chocolate had a secret mission and was called back to Candyland Your mum/dad ate it (i.e. the other parent - not you) It ran away to join the circus...
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ocado waters down ethnic minority targets as bosses go cold on DEI
Ocado has watered down targets to get more ethnic minority people into senior roles amid a wider rollback of diversity initiatives within corporate Britain. The London-listed technology company, which jointly owns online grocer Ocado Retail with M&S, said its goal of having 10pc of senior management roles made up of people from ethnic minorities had been pushed back to 2030 from its previous target of 2027. It comes as a growing wave of companies rein in so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies following a crackdown by Donald Trump in the US. The US president has banned DEI programmes at federal agencies and ended government contracts with 'woke companies' that continue to adopt these policies. Ocado has been increasing its workforce in the US after securing a deal with the supermarket Kroger to supply it with the technology which powers its robotic delivery warehouses. Ocado insisted it remained committed to DEI and said the target had been delayed because its 'strong rate of retention among senior managers' meant it was unlikely to hit the 10pc goal before then. At the end of its latest financial year, the level stood at 5.6pc of senior management, up from 4.5pc the prior year. A spokesman said: 'It does not reflect any change in our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and we are making good progress across our other goals in these areas which extend across the business and our pipeline of talent. 'We strongly believe that diversity is a key driver of innovation and these targets are important for us to maintain our position as one of the UK's most innovative technology businesses.' Last week, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warned employers that their DEI policies may be illegal. Trump's executive order on DEI has prompted a flurry of companies to ditch or scale back their diversity programmes, including Meta, Amazon and Walmart. Some British firms have started to follow suit on watering down diversity plans including GSK and BT, which have pulled DEI measures from executive bonuses. Sensodyne-maker Haleon last week said it would axe diversity targets from its executive bonus scheme, with its chief executive and chief financial officer no longer required to hit gender representation targets to maximise their pay. Last week, Tim Martin, the boss of JD Wetherspoon, said diversity schemes have become 'politicised and weaponised' and called for common sense on the topic. The changes at Ocado follow concerns over years of losses at the technology company. In February, Ocado revealed it racked up a pre-tax loss of £375m for its latest financial year, compared to a £393.6m loss a year earlier. The company said it would make further job cuts as part of a drive to reduce costs and make the business said the number of redundancies would be 'significantly' less than the 1,000 job cuts it made last year. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
23-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Ocado waters down ethnic minority targets as bosses go cold on DEI
Ocado has watered down targets to get more ethnic minority people into senior roles amid a wider rollback of diversity initiatives within corporate Britain. The London-listed technology company, which jointly owns online grocer Ocado Retail with M&S, said its goal of having 10pc of senior management roles made up of people from ethnic minorities had been pushed back to 2030 from its previous target of 2027. It comes as a growing wave of companies rein in so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies following a crackdown by Donald Trump in the US. The US president has banned DEI programmes at federal agencies and ended government contracts with 'woke companies' that continue to adopt these policies. Ocado has been increasing its workforce in the US after securing a deal with the supermarket Kroger to supply it with the technology which powers its robotic delivery warehouses. Ocado insisted it remained committed to DEI and said the target had been delayed because its 'strong rate of retention among senior managers' meant it was unlikely to hit the 10pc goal before then. At the end of its latest financial year, the level stood at 5.6pc of senior management, up from 4.5pc the prior year. A spokesman said: 'It does not reflect any change in our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and we are making good progress across our other goals in these areas which extend across the business and our pipeline of talent. 'We strongly believe that diversity is a key driver of innovation and these targets are important for us to maintain our position as one of the UK's most innovative technology businesses.' Last week, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warned employers that their DEI policies may be illegal. Trump's executive order on DEI has prompted a flurry of companies to ditch or scale back their diversity programmes, including Meta, Amazon and Walmart. Some British firms have started to follow suit on watering down diversity plans including GSK and BT, which have pulled DEI measures from executive bonuses. Sensodyne-maker Haleon last week said it would axe diversity targets from its executive bonus scheme, with its chief executive and chief financial officer no longer required to hit gender representation targets to maximise their pay. Last week, Tim Martin, the boss of JD Wetherspoon, said diversity schemes have become 'politicised and weaponised' and called for common sense on the topic. The changes at Ocado follow concerns over years of losses at the technology company. In February, Ocado revealed it racked up a pre-tax loss of £375m for its latest financial year, compared to a £393.6m loss a year earlier. The company said it would make further job cuts as part of a drive to reduce costs and make the business profitable. Ocado said the number of redundancies would be 'significantly' less than the 1,000 job cuts it made last year.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Protein popularity surge among Gen Zs sparks demand for cottage cheese and chicken
Health-conscious Gen Zers and Millennials are driving an increase in demand for protein-laden foods from cottage cheese to chicken breast and tuna. A national survey of 2,200 people by Savanta for Ocado Retail found nearly half of UK adults increased their protein intake in the past year, but that rose to two-thirds of all people aged 16 to 34. The survey found the increase in popularity was largely driven by social media, with nearly 50 per cent of Gen Z using Instagram and TikTok for inspiration, compared to a third (35 per cent) of millennials and just 5 per cent for boomers. Online grocer Ocado said that searches on its website for high-protein food have doubled since 2023. Demand for the low-fat, high-protein dairy product cottage cheese has increased by 97 per cent, driven in part by a surge in popularity for the ingredient on TikToK. Demand for greek yoghurt is also up by 56 per cent. Searches for chicken breast are up 43 per cent, steak searches are up 39 per cent, tuna searches have risen by 35 per cent, and searches for egg whites are up 27 per cent. Searchers for plant-based protein sources have also risen, with a 27 per cent increase in searches for chickpeas and an 18 per cent increase for lentils. Nicola Waller, buying director at Ocado Retail, said: 'Protein was once seen as the reserve of bodybuilders, but today, it's a staple for anyone looking to eat well and feel their best. Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their protein comes from, favouring natural, whole-food options over ultra-processed alternatives.' Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, and most protein sources also contain a range of important vitamins and minerals. The NHS recommends choosing lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry when possible to cut down on fat, and to eat less red and processed meat such as bacon or sausages. Meat is a good source of iron and zinc, while fish also contains many important vitamins and minerals, with oily fish a particularly good source of omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends eating at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines, and said fresh, frozen or canned fish are good options. The NHS said pulses, including beans, peas and lentils are a good source of protein and fibre which are naturally very low in fat. It's recommended that adults eat about 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight, but that can change depending on age or whether someone is ill.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Protein popularity surge among Gen Zs sparks demand for cottage cheese and chicken
Health-conscious Gen Zers and Millennials are driving an increase in demand for protein -laden foods from cottage cheese to chicken breast and tuna. A national survey of 2,200 people by Savanta for Ocado Retail found nearly half of UK adults increased their protein intake in the past year, but that rose to two-thirds of all people aged 16 to 34. The survey found the increase in popularity was largely driven by social media, with nearly 50 per cent of Gen Z using Instagram and TikTok for inspiration, compared to a third (35 per cent) of millennials and just 5 per cent for boomers. Online grocer Ocado said that searches on its website for high-protein food have doubled since 2023. Demand for the low-fat, high-protein dairy product cottage cheese has increased by 97 per cent, driven in part by a surge in popularity for the ingredient on TikToK. Demand for greek yoghurt is also up by 56 per cent. Searches for chicken breast are up 43 per cent, steak searches are up 39 per cent, tuna searches have risen by 35 per cent, and searches for egg whites are up 27 per cent. Searchers for plant-based protein sources have also risen, with a 27 per cent increase in searches for chickpeas and an 18 per cent increase for lentils. Nicola Waller, buying director at Ocado Retail, said: 'Protein was once seen as the reserve of bodybuilders, but today, it's a staple for anyone looking to eat well and feel their best. Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their protein comes from, favouring natural, whole-food options over ultra-processed alternatives.' Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, and most protein sources also contain a range of important vitamins and minerals. The NHS recommends choosing lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry when possible to cut down on fat, and to eat less red and processed meat such as bacon or sausages. Meat is a good source of iron and zinc, while fish also contains many important vitamins and minerals, with oily fish a particularly good source of omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends eating at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines, and said fresh, frozen or canned fish are good options. The NHS said pulses, including beans, peas and lentils are a good source of protein and fibre which are naturally very low in fat. It's recommended that adults eat about 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight, but that can change depending on age or whether someone is ill.
