Can online favourite Ocado make a comeback, or will its share price sink lower? March 28, 2023 Ocado’s share price fell nearly six per cent in afternoon trade as the “magic” of the online retailer’s venture with Marks and Spencer did little to buoy the confidence of investors In its start of year trading update Ocado revealed that retail revenue grew slightly by 3.4 per cent, although a 7.5 per cent decrease [...]
Asda owners shrug off £9bn debt pile and size up £8bn Subway take over March 28, 2023 The billionaire owners of supermarket Asdaare reportedly sizing up an £8bn takeover of global sandwich maker Subway. According to reports in The Sun, billionaire’s Mohsin and Zuber Issa are understood to be eyeing up the 44,000 restaurant chain. The pair, who gained their notoriety as the founders of forecourt business EG Group, already have Subway [...]
Supermarket wars: Lidl and Aldi gain ground on Tesco as bargain-hunting Brits battle grocery inflation March 28, 2023 Lidl is the UK’s fastest growing supermarket as bargain-hunting Brits turn to the discount grocer during the cost of living crisis. With grocery inflation now at 15 per cent, new figures published by Kantar this morning show value outlets have seen an uptick in sales last month. Sales in the German supermarket Aldi rose 25.8 [...]
Ocado’s ‘M&S’ magic fails to impress as shares trade down despite revenue boost March 28, 2023 Ocado said it had helped by some “M&S magic” as the grocery chain’s joint venture with the high street stalwart boosted sales by 3.6 per cent in its first quarter. Shares in the online grocer were last trading down 1.97 per cent or 8.9p at 443.20p. The up market online grocer, which posted a pre-tax [...]
Food inflation soars to record 15 per cent as sugar price hike leaves retailers warning of more misery to come March 28, 2023 Shop price inflation is yet to reach its “peak” as the rising cost of sugar and high manufacturing costs present a double whammy ahead of crucial Easter trade, a leading retail body has warned. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) shop price index showed annual inflation accelerated to 8.9 per cent in March, up from 8.4 [...]
Matalan drafts in supermarket execs as bruised retailer looks to rebuild reputation March 27, 2023 Matalan has drafted in a pair of former Lidl and Co-op executives as the bruised value retailer looks to rebuild its performance following the exit of founder John Hargreaves earlier this year. Jo Whitfeild, the former chief of the Co-op’s food division, will take the lead as Matalan’s chief executive. She will replace interim chief [...]
Lamborghini, Aston Martin & Dior: Why are the world’s luxury brands recession proof? March 27, 2023 Luxury brands are yet to feel the cold wind of recession, with luxury names including Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley and Dior all posting a surge in revenues in 2023. The companies all cite the “resilience” of their wealthy customers in an otherwise tough economic market. Lamborghini is the latest to appear to shrug off soaring [...]
Belvoir weathered mini budget interest rate storm with small dip in profit March 27, 2023 Belvoir reported a small dip in pre-tax profit this morning as its chief cited a “general pressure on interest rates” from the mini-budget for its results. For the year, the London-listed property firm reported pre-tax profits dip two per cent to £9.1m from £9.3m, saying the budget from Liz Truss shook the market. The Lincolnshire headquartered [...]
It’s all about quality: Fixing the Square Mile’s shopping district March 27, 2023 As Oxford Street struggles to fill vacant spaces on its high street, many in the retail sector are also questioning what the future holds for the Square Mile’s shopping scene. At One New Change, the City’s prime shopping centre, which was launched in 2010 to rival London’s West End, there are about 10 vacant lots, [...]
London loves Thursday! 3.3m use Tube in return to (co-working) office – and the pub March 24, 2023 Thursday is now the most popular day for London workers to head into the office – with over 3.3m jumping on the tube to join colleagues for after work drinks. According to the latest ridership from TFL and WeWork shared exclusively with City A.M, Thursday is now the most popular weekday to travel on the [...]