High-street retailers are struggling to meet the demands of tech-savvy consumers November 16, 2016 Black Friday marks the start of the UK's busiest shopping period of the year, and research shows retailers aren't doing enough to improve their customers' in-store experiences. Among the biggest irritations to shoppers are crowded shops (45 per cent), checkout queues (42 per cent) and long waits for fitting rooms (29 per cent). Almost two thirds [...]
John Lewis just sent John Lewis a huge #BustertheBoxer-themed thank you gift November 15, 2016 One of City A.M.'s favourite festive traditions is kicking back with a mince pie and scrolling through the tweets of Virgina computer science educator, father of four, social liberal, atheist and – crucially – "not a retail store", John Lewis. For it is at this time of year Lewis, whose Twitter handle is @JohnLewis, is [...]
Not all gravy: Profits melted away in hot weather at Oxo and Bisto owner Premier Foods November 15, 2016 Shares in the owner of Bisto gravy steamed in four per cent higher today as a result of good news on its pension schemes, this was despite the summer's weather hitting profits. Premier Foods revealed half-year earnings had fallen by over four per cent in the six months to the end of September. Meanwhile, underlying revenues fell [...]
Amazon Restaurants’ food delivery expands to more London locations November 15, 2016 Tech giant Amazon is ramping up its battle with Deliveroo and UberEats, extending its food delivery service to more locations in London. Amazon Restaurant has added more than 20 new areas to the list of locations it delivers food to, from restaurants such as Strada and Pod. Read more: Black Friday: Four pairs of wireless [...]
Black Friday 2016 deals: Four pairs of wireless headphones Amazon has in its Black Friday sale today November 15, 2016 It's day two of Amazon's 12-day Black Friday bonanza, and today the retailer has gone berserk for wireless headphones. If you're an Apple fan with a hankering for an iPhone 7 – sensationally unveiled in September sans headphone jack – take a look at today's deals: 1. Yeona Wireless Bluetooth stereo headphones – 55 per cent off Not [...]
Sales at Tesco are growing at their fastest rate in three years – but Morrisons and Asda are still suffering November 15, 2016 The supertanker that is Tesco continues to change its course, after new figures suggested its sales rose to their highest in three years in the last quarter. Data by Kantar Worldpanel showed Tesco sales rose 2.2 per cent in the 12 weeks to 6 November, putting its market share at 28.2 per cent – up from [...]
Do schmaltzy Christmas ads cheer up revenues? November 15, 2016 What do a robin, a boxer dog, a cartoon character called Dave and Mrs Santa Claus have in common? It may sound like the start of a bad joke but this motley crew all have starring roles in 2016's Christmas adverts for major retailers. So far, the M&S ad appears to be the biggest hit [...]
A petition to stop shops opening on Boxing Day has 100,000 signatures November 14, 2016 A petition calling for shops to shut on Boxing Day has gathered more than 100,000 signatures. Boxing Day, which falls on 26 December, is traditionally a massive day for shopping as most major retailers begin their post-Christmas sales. Many companies have already launched promotions ahead of Black Friday, which falls on 25 November this year. [...]
Black Friday 2016: Eight of today’s best deals from Amazon November 14, 2016 Amazon kicked off two weeks of Black Friday deals this morning, with offers on products from CDs (old school) to TVs, headphones and, er, loo roll. For those sneaking in some early Christmas shopping while they're at work (we don't blame you), we'll list the best deals every day in the run-up to the annual [...]
John Lewis resists “Stop Funding Hate” calls to pull newspaper advertising November 14, 2016 John Lewis is resisting calls to pull advertising from newspapers over their editorial coverage. The retailer issued a statement as campaign group Stop Funding Hate steps up efforts to encourage companies not to advertise in the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Express. Read more: Lego is "not planning any future promotional activity" in the Daily Mail [...]