Somerfield's ecommerce drive goes rotten

NEWS UK supermarket chain, Somerfield, has pulled the plug on its struggling Web-based home shopping service 24-7. John von Spreckelson, the company's chief executive, said the venture hadn't been growing. "It represents a significant distraction to management at a time when its focus has to be on the core Somerfield and Kwik Save business," he said. The group reported a ten per cent slump in sales last month. The service will stop taking orders from next week and will cease trading on 25 June. In a statement Somerfield said the £11m assets will be absorbed into the main organisation.