Waitrose sets out £1bn online shopping plan as it prepares for life without Ocado May 16, 2019 Waitrose has revealed a £1bn plan to bolster its online operations today as it prepares for life without Ocado. The upmarket grocer has signed a deal with Today Development Partners (TDP) in a bid to treble the size of its online business over the next three years, as its 20-year relationship with delivery giant Ocado nears its [...]
Waitrose removes ‘ugly’ Easter chocolate duckling from shelves after complaints of racism April 9, 2019 Waitrose has been forced to apologise and temporarily remove a trio of chocolate ducklings from its shelves, after customers complained about the darkest one being called “Ugly”. One customer tweeted to say it “doesn’t look good at all. Thousands of other options… why ugly?????” Read more: Telegraph hires Waitrose editor who resigned after vegan row [...]
The real John Lewis bonus today was Waitrose March 7, 2019 Caution was in no short supply at this morning's breakfast with the bosses of John Lewis Partnership. Over coffee and croissants at its Victoria HQ, the retail giant’s directors echoed worries that the industry as a whole has been voicing for months: namely, the major structural changes on the high street and fears over a [...]
M&S buying growth with Ocado? February 27, 2019 | City Talk M&S’s purchase of Ocado’s UK retail business looks rather like one of its own ready meals – overpriced, not very good for you but easy, quick and ready to heat up. M&S and Ocado have confirmed the details of their joint venture. M&S is paying up to £750m for the 50/50 stake in Ocado’s UK [...]
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 [...]
Ocado boss Tim Steiner refuses to comment on M&S tie-up reports February 5, 2019 Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner today refused to be drawn on reports of a potential tie-up with Marks & Spencer after reporting a revenue boost in the firm’s full-year results. “We’re in the business of talking to retailers; we’re constantly talking to different retailers all around the world about opportunities we may have with them,” Steiner [...]
Ocado investors set to quiz boss Tim Steiner over M&S food delivery deal February 3, 2019 Ocado boss Tim Steiner will be in the spotlight this week as he delivers the firm’s annual results amid reports of a possible partnership with Marks & Spencer. The two companies are said to be in talks over a food delivery partnership that would see the retailer use Ocado’s warehouses and delivery lorries. Read more: Ocado [...]
A tie-up with Ocado could signal a long overdue step into food delivery for M&S January 28, 2019 If 2018 was the year of profit warnings for retailers, 2019 looks set to be the year of closures. Last week it was the turn of Paperchase to be reportedly mulling a possible sale and store closures, joining the likes of HMV and French Connection in search for a rescue bidder. It is within such [...]
‘A farce!’ Tories react to Theresa May’s plan to back a change to her Brexit plan January 28, 2019 Theresa May is set for a showdown with the hard Brexit wing of her party on Tuesday as the war over her withdrawal plan intensifies. The Prime Minister will order her MPs to support a plan calling for the unpopular Irish backstop to be replaced with “alternative arrangements” to avoid a hard border on the island. [...]
It’s the end of Veganuary, but food retailers need to support vegans all year round and not treat them like just another trend January 28, 2019 January is often a month when we try new things, and attempt to abstain from old habits. It started with new year’s resolutions. Then people started to try “Dry January”, forgoing alcohol for the whole month to make up for overindulging at Christmas. The concept has evolved, and now we have “Veganuary”, where people challenge [...]