Carry on shopping: Alibaba defies China slowdown with fourth quarter revenue May 5, 2016 Alibaba, the Chinese ecommerce giant, has defied the country's economic slowdown, reporting expectation-busting revenue. The Amazon of China's sales rose 39 per cent in the fourth quarter to 24.2bn yuan (£2.55bn) smashing estimates of around 23bn yuan, while income came in at 5.3bn yuan, a rise of 81 per cent. "Whatever they are doing must be working, and [...]
At the close: One-way traffic on the FTSE 100 as miners and supermarkets drag it down May 4, 2016 Sunshine may be sweeping the capital, but the stock markets are still feeling down, as the FTSE 100 sunk to a four-week low. Closing down 1.2 per cent at 6,112.02, the FTSE 100 has now lost five per cent since it hit 2016 highs back in the middle of April. Miners dug themselves into a hole as [...]
Sales at Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all drop for the first time in a year May 4, 2016 The supermarket sector has suffered yet another setback, with sales at all of the Big Four declining in the last quarter, while – you guessed it – Aldi and Lidl posted double-digit growth. Asda was the poorest performer of the biggest supermarkets, with sales dropping 5.1 per cent according to Kantar Worldpanel, followed by Morrisons, which dropped 2.6 per cent. Sales at Tesco [...]
Sainsbury’s to double the number of click and collect grocery sites as full-year results loom May 3, 2016 Sainsbury's is doubling the number of click & collect sites in its store car parks over the next 12 months to take the total number to 200. The supermarket chain said its "drive thru" service was proving popular with customers as shopping habits change and plans to launch a further 100 sites by May 2017. “We know that time is precious [...]
Procter & Gamble beats expectations but warns over its fourth quarter sending the share price lower April 26, 2016 Procter & Gamble shares dropped in early trading in New York after the company announced third-quarter earnings above estimates, but warned its results in the fourth quarter will be worse than last year. The global consumer goods company, which makes everything from shampoo to toilet paper, said profits rose to $2.75bn (£1.88bn), or 97 cents per share, up from $2.15bn, or 75 [...]
Pizza chain Zizzi to cut staff perks in wake of the National Living Wage April 25, 2016 Zizzi's staff have had their perks cut as the National Living Wage puts a strain on the business. The private-equity owned restaurant chain has become the latest business to respond to changes in the minimum wage. Waiting staff have had their free meal choices limited while a cap has been imposed on how much they can earn from [...]
Posh pub group Upham brews £12m listing on AIM after success in Home Counties pubs and craft beer April 25, 2016 Posh pub owner and craft beer brewer Upham Group is set to join the champagne set as it announced plans to float on the AIM. Upham, which runs 15 "high quality" pubs in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, said it hopes to raise £12m with the listing. It opened four new pubs in the past year and [...]
Warnings over number of interest-only mortgages maturing in 2016 as wave hits April 25, 2016 Up to 20,000 interest-only mortgage holders across the country could be without plans to repay their home loans when they mature this year. As many as 40,000 interest-only mortgages are set to be called in during 2016, kicking off a new wave of maturities expected to run until 2020. The high level of mortgages reaching maturity has sparked [...]
Entrepreneur Luke Johnson and Casual Dining Group said to be bidding for Tesco-owned restaurant chain Giraffe April 24, 2016 Friendly-dining restaurant chain Giraffe has piqued the interest of serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson and the hospitality giant behind Bella Italia and Las Iguanas. Casual Dining Group, which also owns Cafe Rouge, could be set to lock horns with Johnson in the race to buy the Tesco-owned restaurant chain, reported the Sunday Times. Tesco announced it was [...]
Incredible shrinking toilet paper: The six products you’re getting less of, but are not getting cheaper April 20, 2016 When you're spending a penny, you're being short changed, it turns out. One brands' toilet rolls have been quietly shortened, but you're still paying the same price, and it's just one of several products where you're now getting less bang for your buck – and may even pay more for less – according to research from consumer [...]