Tesco CEO: Analysts react to Dave Lewis’ shock departure October 2, 2019 Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis this morning made the shock announcement that he is preparing to step down, saying the supermarket giant’s turnaround is complete. Lewis cited personal reasons for his decision and declared that five to six years is an appropriate tenure for a chief executive. Read more: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis quits Boots [...]
Tesco CEO Dave Lewis quits as supermarket declares turnaround ‘is complete’ October 2, 2019 Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis is stepping down from the Big Four supermarket, it revealed today as it declared its turnaround is complete. The CEO will leave the business next summer after chairman John Allan said he had accepted his resignation letter “with regret”. Read more: Tesco sells mortgage arm for £3.8bn Lewis called the [...]
Topps Tiles shares sink on fourth quarter sales dip October 2, 2019 Shares in Topps Tiles dipped this morning as the company revealed political uncertainty hurt fourth quarter trading. The tile retailer said like-for-like sales fell 1.9 per cent in the fourth quarter as uncertainty impacted consumer confidence. Shares fell 6.5 per cent this morning. Read more: Brokers urge investors to buy Topps Tiles shares as sales [...]
Flutter shares jump 14 per cent on £11bn merger with Stars Group to create one of the world’s largest gambling firms October 2, 2019 Flutter Entertainment and Nasdaq- and Toronto-listed Stars Group said today they were merging in a deal that will create one of the world’s largest gambling businesses. Shareholders in Flutter, formerly known as Paddy Power Betfair, will own approximately 54.6 per cent of the new company with Stars shareholders owning approximately 45.3 per cent of the [...]
Asos to appoint Ocado boss to board as it plots leadership shake-up October 1, 2019 Asos is set to announce a raft of new boardroom appointments as it looks to rebuild investor confidence after a series of profit warnings. The online retailer will tomorrow announce several new non-executive directors, including Luke Jensen, the chief executive of Ocado’s tech solutions arm, Sky News reported. Read more: Asos profit warning: Three factors [...]
John Lewis to axe a third of senior managers to save £100m October 1, 2019 The John Lewis Partnership is slashing its senior management layer by one third in a shock £100m bid to cut costs at the struggling retailer. Around 75 senior managers will get the axe from the current total of 225 in head office, John Lewis said. As part of the shake-up, the embattled chain also revealed [...]
Sales growth slows at Greggs as it warns of increased Brexit costs October 1, 2019 Sales growth at bakery chain Greggs slowed in the third quarter as it warned of tough comparatives and increased input costs because of Brexit. Greggs today posted a sales increase of 12.4 per cent for the 13 weeks to 28 September. Read more: Greggs upgrades outlook as sales rise on vegan sausage roll success Like-for-like [...]
Sainsbury’s heir to the throne quits to join media powerhouse WPP October 1, 2019 Sainsbury’s has confirmed the CEO of Argos is quitting the retail space to join advertising giant WPP as its new chief financial officer, sparking speculation that boss Mike Coupe is in for the long haul. John Rogers, widely tipped as Coupe’s long-term successor, will leave the retailer on 31 October after almost 15 years at [...]
FRC watchdog probes EY audit of Thomas Cook accounts October 1, 2019 The UK’s financial watchdog has launched an investigation into EY’s audit of Thomas Cook’s last set of financial results. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has started its probe into EY’s audit of the collapsed tour operator’s financial year ending 30 September 2018. Read more: DEBATE: Is Thomas Cook’s boss right to defend his high pay? [...]
How business rates reform can thwart the retail apocalypse October 1, 2019 When businesses like Thomas Cook fail to adapt, they are smited by new technologies with leaner business models and more efficient practices. This is Joseph Schumpeter’s creative destruction in action. Yet there is something profoundly bleak about boarded-up shops or “clearance sales” posters in the windows of once thriving businesses – particularly as the demise of [...]