M&S shakes off cyber chaos with strong Christmas sales Marks & Spencer (M&S) has delivered a steadier than feared Christmas trading update, offering some festive cheer for investors after a year, overshadowed by a costly cyber attack and months of disrupted online sales. The retailer reported group sales of £5bn for the 13 weeks to 27 December, up 3.3 per cent excluding Ocado Retail, [...]
Ocado eyes global tech push after US setback Retail Shares in Ocado slipped two per cent on Tuesday as the online grocery group outlined plans to sell its AI-driven warehouse tech globally, following a turbulent year for its international operations. Most of Ocado’s exclusivity deals with global partners, including US retail giant Kroger, have now expired, freeing the company to pitch its evolved robotic [...]
Asda: Will 2026 be the year supermarket giant bounces back? Retail This time last year, analysts warned that Asda needed to “dig down into its soul” if it was to turn around its fortunes. After a rollercoaster 2024 in which it struggled with debt, strikes and falling sales, the Leeds-headquartered supermarket giant was hoping the new year would begin to reveal green shoots of recovery. Under [...]
Ocado shares spike as grocer boosted by £750m M&S joint venture gain July 17, 2025 Online grocer Ocado has reported significant growth in the first half of 2025, while stating its major goal is to turn cash-flow positive next year. Its share price spiked more than 13 per cent in early trades. Ocado told markets this morning that revenue rose 13.2 per cent to £674m, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation [...]
Gymkhana: World famous Indian restaurant leans into ‘fakeaway’ boom July 3, 2025 For years, the name “Gymkhana” has been synonymous with exquisite, two Michelin-starred Indian dining in London’s upscale Mayfair, a celebrity favourite, reportedly frequented by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and the Beckhams. Now, a pioneering venture, Gymkhana Fine Foods, is allowing home cooks to recreate that magic in their own kitchens. Launched in [...]
No jobs in 30 years? UK tech leaders push back on Musk’s AI claims June 10, 2025 Elon Musk’s bleak prediction that “there’s not going to be any jobs for anyone” in 30 years has come under heavy fire from some of the UK’s leading AI figures at London Tech Week. Instead of sounding an alarm for mass unemployment, UK experts argued for transformation and a new focus on control over AI, [...]
UK retailers claw back losses as wave of selling turns to opportunistic buying April 7, 2025 Heavyweight UK retailers clawed back some of their losses on Monday afternoon as the morning’s sell-off turned to buying. The FTSE 350 general retail index had dropped by as much as four per cent in early trades, but later stabilised to minus 2.8 per cent. Even UK retailers with very little presence in the US, [...]
Ocado: CEO pay jumps despite heavy losses and flagging share price March 6, 2025 The chief executive of Ocado has seen his pay jump despite continuing heavy losses at the technology and grocery platform. Tim Steiner took home more than £2.6m for his company’s latest financial year, a rise from the £1.9m he was awarded in the prior 12 months. The increase was mainly driven by a rise in [...]
Supermarket sales rise, but Asda continues to struggle March 4, 2025 Sales at UK supermarkets rose above inflation in February as Brits looked for cost-effective ways to treat themselves. Take-home sales at the grocers rose by 3.6 per cent over the four weeks to 23 February, while prices rose 3.3 per cent, according to Kantar. However, the headline figure masked a gulf between the performance of [...]
Ocado: Shares slump as double-digit growth fails to offset losses February 27, 2025 Tech and grocery platform Ocado has reported another year of losses despite a strong performance in its online delivery arm. Its share price fell by more than 13 per cent in early trades. Overall revenue rose by 14.1 per cent to reach £3.1bn in the year ended December 1. Lucy Rumbold, equity research analyst at [...]