Unilever UK is undergoing a large management restructure as it rolls out its One Unilever strategy to create a "leaner, simpler business".

Veetee Dine In is flying off the shelves because it's the first microwaveable rice that provides restaurant-quality in two minutes. It is perfect for busy people who don't want to compromise on taste.

The newly opened Marylebone Waitrose is hoping to give London newcomer Whole Foods Market a run for its money as a fresh and different store experience.

Asda is claiming its new front-of-pack hybrid traffic light and GDA labelling is preferred by its customers over Tesco's GDA version.

And yet here we are - soggy and many of us more than put out by the incessant rain. It seems the strange weather is also playing havoc in some supermarkets.

Ready meals do tend to get singled out for negative stories and it's not surprising that they are a target.

AIn many retail outlets part-time staff account for more than two-thirds of total staff employed, so the issue of how to put in place suitable induction, training and coaching programmes is critical in ensuring a uniformly high level of customer service throughout the store.

For the past four years, Sainsbury's champagne buyer Melissa Draycott has worked in the Bury St Edmonds store during the run up to Christmas. Melissa (pictured above) started her career in this store, on the beer, wines and spirits aisle, so she knows it well and can relate to customers.

Meeting store manager Linda Alexander at her substantial Sainsbury's store on the outskirts of the attractive market town of Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, the first thing you notice (apart from her broad smile) is her evident passion for the job. The friendly Scot may be all smiles, but she has a serious commitment to getting things right. Her strong work ethic, driven by a love for all things grocery, was demonstrated from the word go as a Sainsbury's trainee after graduating from Strathclyde University in the mid 1980s.

"The impulse nature of batteries is an opportunity for every retailer," says Martin Gormley, brand manager for Duracell UK, still the market-leading battery brand. "It doesn't matter whether you're a newsagent or national grocer, given that 60% of batteries are bought on impulse, every retailer has an opportunity to maximise sales."

The last brave soldier. We've all seen them. The last product on the BOGOF shelf because it has no partner. Or just the last product on the shelf right at the back where you can't see, and probably can't reach anyway.