How Iceland found the perfect Christmas campaign formula December 11, 2019 Twas the month before Christmas (in 2018), and the festive cheer was seemingly “cancelled” for British frozen food giant Iceland. “We’re absolutely gutted,” a defeated Richard Walker, Iceland’s managing director, told the BBC. “We wanted to share this message far and wide.” Well, for Richard, Christmas miracles are very much real. This particular miracle began when [...]
Virgin Active and Iceland investor Brait to offload assets November 27, 2019 South African investment firm Brait, which owns stakes in New Look, Iceland and Virgin Active, has announced a financial restructuring plan that will see it offload its assets. Shares in the Johannesburg-listed company plunged more than 15 per cent after it unveiled plans to sell off its assets in a bid to reduce debts and [...]
Supermarket chain Iceland takes a hit as insurers freeze out suppliers October 20, 2019 Suppliers to supermarket chain Iceland are said to have had their insurance cover cut amid concerns about the impact of Brexit on the company’s supply chain. Paris-based insurer Euler Hermes reduced the credit cover it provides to Iceland’s suppliers over the summer, while rival Atradius is also mulling a possible cut, the Sunday Times reported. [...]
GDPR is one year old, but has the EU’s data protection regulations helped business or eroded trust? May 24, 2019 Saturday marks the first anniversary of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) finally coming into force. GDPR was heavily hyped up, with many hoping – or fearing – that it would fundamentally change not only how companies handle people’s data, but also how consumers view their online interactions with businesses. Anyone with an [...]
Debate: Given the problems at Wow Air, should we be worried about the future of the airline industry? April 5, 2019 Given the problems at Wow Air, should we be worried about the future of the airline industry? Yes – Anthony Hynes is chief executive of eNett international. With Iceland’s Wow Air and other airlines going bust recently, it’s undeniable that the airline industry is going through some turbulent times. In fact, our recent study shows that [...]
No, the Norway option won’t turn Britain into a vassal state March 27, 2019 Think of all those Victorian statutes which are still good law today: the Partnership Act 1890, for example, or the Bills of Exchange Act 1882. There are many others. All were passed under a legislative system which we no longer recognise – indeed, which is now repugnant to us: no women could vote in elections; [...]
Icelandic carrier Wow Air faces headwinds as it extends deadline for rescue deal March 4, 2019 Iceland’s Wow Air is the latest low cost airline facing severe turbulence, after it has been forced to ask lenders for an extension to negotiate a rescue deal. The carrier, which has faced months of financial difficulties, confirmed it has asked for an extra month to negotiate a rescue deal with US investment company Indigo [...]
The UK’s best and worst supermarkets: How did Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Lidl do? February 22, 2019 The big four supermarket chains have lost ground to budget rivals in a survey of shopper satisfaction, as customers grow increasingly dissatisfied with the the quality of in-house labels. Read more: Watchdog may block Sainsbury's-Asda merger Aldi and Lidl outperformed the big four with customer satisfaction scores of 68 and 66 per cent respectively, according to [...]
Iceland Christmas sales fall despite furore over banned palm oil advert February 20, 2019 Iceland is set to reveal a decline in underlying sales over the festive period after its controversial Christmas advert failed to boost business. A report prepared for bondholders, obtained by the Financial Times, showed underlying sales fell by one per cent in the 16 weeks to 4 January. Read more: Iceland mulls bid for potential [...]
Asda sales growth falters amid competition probe into Sainsbury’s merger February 19, 2019 Asda today reported a slowdown in sales growth in the fourth quarter as it waits for the green light over its planned merger with Sainsbury’s. The supermarket chain, which is owned by US grocery giant Walmart, posted a one per cent rise in like-for-like sales excluding petrol in the three months to the end of [...]