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 [...]
Ocado and Marks & Spencer see shares rise on reports of food delivery partnership January 28, 2019 Shares in Marks & Spencer and Ocado were up this morning following reports the firms are in talks over a possible food delivery partnership. Ocado and Marks & Spencer saw their shares rise five per cent and one per cent respectively in early trading after it emerged the retailer could sign a deal to use [...]
Every Lidl helps: German discount chain boosts sales in bumper Christmas trading January 11, 2019 German discount supermarket Lidl boosted sales eight per cent over the Christmas period, it revealed today. In the six weeks to 30 December sales were up eight per cent on the same period last year with Saturday 22 December the busiest day. Lidl’s results were aided by a 33 per cent jump in sales for [...]
John Lewis considers slashing staff bonus as it warns on full-year profits January 10, 2019 John Lewis today said it may axe its staff bonus this year as it warned of falling profits, despite a rise in sales over the Christmas period. The department store saw sales increase 1.4 per cent to £2.2bn in the seven weeks to 5 January compared to the same period last year. Like-for-like sales at [...]
John Lewis enjoys sales boost after strong Christmas performance January 8, 2019 John Lewis has doubled down on a positive festive period after reporting double-figure sales growth over the last week. The department store chain said total sales for the week to 5 January were up 11.2 per cent on the same period last year, thanks to its post-Christmas clearance. The figures were driven by soaring menswear [...]
Telegraph hires Waitrose Food editor William Sitwell who resigned after vegan row January 3, 2019 The Telegraph has hired the former Waitrose Food magazine editor who stepped down after suggesting vegans should be force-fed meat, the company said today. William Sitwell, who resigned from the supermarket magazine after making comments about “killing vegans” in an email to a journalist, will join the Telegraph as a restaurant critic, writer and commentator. [...]
The fine line between banter and bullying December 20, 2018 Philip Green found himself under fire when he dismissed allegations of bullying and harassment as just “banter”. And while many of us might have considered former Waitrose magazine editor William Sitwell’s comments on vegans to a freelance writer as a quip, it eventually cost him his job. There is no doubt that a friendly working [...]
Stop making millennials the butt of the joke if you want to market to them December 11, 2018 Millennials are one of the most maligned of any of the generational cohorts. When not branded as “snowflakes” or accused of indulging in too much self-care, they are routinely blamed for all manner of problems such as the death of the high street or falling interest in the package holiday. Of course brands – many [...]