The good, the bad, and the orange: In search of the perfect 2020 Christmas ad November 24, 2020 To call 2020 a “garbage fire” of a year would not be unfair. This year has turned people’s worlds upside-down in so many ways. But at least a few things remain a constant presence in life — one of which is the return of the blockbuster Christmas TV advert. While the advertising budgets look a [...]
Chemistry won the vaccine battle, but logistics will win the Covid war November 20, 2020 We are in a global war with Covid-19. And as military wisdom has it, wars aren’t won with the best tactics but the best logistics. Media coverage around the two initial vaccines — from Pfizer and Moderna — has concentrated on their relative levels of effectiveness and the number of jabs on order. But positive [...]
Game over: Major retailer websites crash amid PS5 release frenzy November 19, 2020 The websites of major retailers including Amazon, John Lewis and Currys crashed this morning after frenzied gamers rushed to get their hands on the new PS5. Shoppers hoping to get their hands on the latest console also ran into problems on the Tesco and Game websites, as retailers were overwhelmed by demand. Amazon released its [...]
Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury’s face allegations of worker exploitation in India November 17, 2020 UK retailers including Marks & Spencer (M&S), Tesco and Sainsbury’s are facing calls to apologise following allegations of worker exploitation in their supply chains. Supermarket supplier workers in India reportedly said they do not get toilet breaks or sufficient breaks to drink water or eat lunch. One member of staff told the BBC they were [...]
Tesco apologises to customers over Christmas delivery booking delays November 13, 2020 Tesco has been forced to apologise to customers facing delays trying to book a delivery slot for Christmas shopping following a surge in demand. The supermarket said this morning that it had placed shoppers in a “virtual waiting room” to help it manage the influx of customers trying to secure a home delivery for the [...]
Waitrose pledges to keep meat and fish counters open as rivals shutter services November 11, 2020 Waitrose has this morning pledged to keep its meat, fish and deli counters open, taking on the supermarkets that have shuttered the services to cut costs amid falling demand. The up-market grocer said it is committed to the long-term future of its food service counters, and is planning to expand its meat and fish range [...]
Christmas shoppers flock to toy shops ahead of second Covid-19 lockdown November 10, 2020 Toy and entertainment retailers reported a surge in shopper numbers in the days leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as Brits snapped up Christmas presents ahead of the closure of non-essential stores. The latest analysis showed that toy stores more than doubled their share of pre-pandemic footfall between Monday and Wednesday last week. But one [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher and US stocks rise despite fresh coronavirus lockdowns November 2, 2020 The FTSE 100 rebounded strongly from a terrible last week and US stocks jumped as investors rediscovered some optimism ahead of the US election and key central bank meetings. London’s main stock index was 1.4 per cent higher at 5,654 points by the close of trade, despite the imposition of a new national lockdown. The [...]
CBI deputy: A no-deal Brexit on top of coronavirus is ‘very, very worrying’ November 2, 2020 For a while in the summer it looked as though the CBI’s annual conference – a highlight of the business calendar which kicks off today – could be celebrating an economy on its way back to health. But a surge in coronavirus restrictions and new lockdowns across the country mean it is likely to be [...]
Bother: The startup looking to disrupt the grocery market October 30, 2020 The days of empty shelves and loo roll shortages seem a distant lockdown memory, but one London-based startup thinks it speaks to a wider problem within the UK’s grocery market. Startup Bother is on a mission to disrupt the saturated grocery market by offering what it considers to be a convenient and cheaper online alternative. [...]