Tesco exits China with £275m stake sale February 25, 2020 Tesco has sold its 20 per cent share in its China joint venture for £275m as it nears a potential deal for its Thailand and Malaysia businesses. The supermarket giant announced this morning that it has offloaded its stake in Gain Land – which was established in 2014 – to a subsidiary of its joint [...]
Recruiter Cordant scrambles to raise cash after clash with lenders February 23, 2020 Cordant, one of the largest recruitment agencies in the UK is rushing to raise new cash after coming close to collapse following a row with its lenders. The company, whose clients include Lloyds, Amazon and Tesco, is racing to secure a deal with investors that would end the majority ownership of the Ullmann family, who [...]
Waitrose ranked best UK supermarket in annual Which survey February 22, 2020 Waitrose has been ranked as the best supermarket in the UK in an annual satisfaction survey conducted by Which. The chain, which is owned by John Lewis, hit five stars on most categories, but did come joint-last in value for money. Budget supermarkets Aldi and Lidl continue to be ranked highest in terms of value. [...]
Lidl to invest £1.3bn in UK store expansion February 20, 2020 Budget supermarket Lidl has announced it will invest £1.3bn in store expansion across the UK in the next two years. The German discounter – which has opened 50 new stores in the last 12 months – said this morning that it has committed to investing in growing its store portfolio in 2021 and 2020. The [...]
Downing Street poised to axe business councils February 20, 2020 Downing Street is planning a major shake-up of the way it deals with the business community, with officials planning to scrap the system created by Theresa May. Number 10 officials are poised to axe the five business councils set up by the former Prime Minister around business lines, including one for financial and professional services. [...]
O2 revenue rises for third year running as it beefs up customer base February 20, 2020 O2 has posted its third consecutive year of revenue and profit growth as the mobile network continued to expand its customer numbers. Revenue rose 3.8 per cent to hit £6.2bn in the year to the end of December, while operating income was up 2.3 per cent to £1.9bn. The growth was driven by a continued [...]
Asda sales slump due to ‘cautious’ Christmas shoppers February 18, 2020 Asda sales slumped over the crucial festive trading period due to “cautious” consumer spending, as shoppers reined in their Christmas lists. The supermarket giant said like-for-like sales excluding petrol dropped 1.3 per cent in the three months to the end of December. The sales drop was driven by “challenging market conditions”, particularly in Asda’s clothing [...]
Tesco ‘unlawfully’ blocked rivals from opening nearby stores, CMA finds February 14, 2020 Tesco has been told to stop illegally blocking rival supermarkets from buying its land or leasing nearby sites by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). An investigation from the competition regulator found that Tesco had blocked access to rivals using restrictive contracts on 23 occasions. The UK’s biggest supermarket chain has agreed to take action [...]
Sainsbury’s Bank chairman Roger Davis steps down February 12, 2020 Sainsbury’s Bank has started a search for a new chair after Roger Davis told the board he intends to step down from the role. Davis has chaired the bank’s board for almost seven years. Sainsbury’s said the search to find Davis’s replacement had begun and that further announcements regarding the timings of his retirement and [...]
Starling Bank gives shares to employees as it raises £60m February 10, 2020 Challenger bank Starling today said it will hand out shares to all 800 employees after raising £60m to boost its expansion plans. The cash injection, led by existing investors Merian Global Investors and JTC, brings the total raised by Starling to £323m and follows two funding rounds of £105m last year. The digital bank said [...]