Retail giant Tesco is set to delist the entire range of Kingsmill sliced loaves as part of a new "volume-driven" strategy in the UK, according to reports.
Kingsmill, according to mysupermarket-insights.co.uk, is Tesco’s third-largest branded bread with 9.1 per cent market share, behind Hovis (30.46 per cent) and Warburtons (18.51 per cent)
As of 23 March, Kingsmill sliced bread will no longer be available in Tesco stores, however other Kingsmill products such as rolls, wraps, crumpets and pancakes will continue to be stocked.
The news of delisting comes just a week after Allied Bakeries, parent company of Kingsmill, announced the departure of longstanding chief executive Mark Fairweather.
Supermarket insight specialist and ex-retailer Steven Dresser, of groceryinsight.com, told British Baker that this consolidation of brands is to be expected in Tesco, as the retailer begins a new volume-driven strategy.
"There are other discontinuations too across the piece - morning goods etc. Kingsmill is only disappearing en masse in plant bread. It will upset some customers of course. Asda trades it hard at 79p," said Dresser.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Story by Ciara Mooney.
