Mix it up: Breathe new life into your G&T with these artisan gins June 9, 2015 Familiarity can breed contempt. Prior to the recent resurgence, such was the state of Britain’s relationship with the gin and tonic. The fire had gone out: it had become a cocktail of convenience. It wasn’t always thus. Like all good love stories, British affection for the G&T was born in battle. It was a [...]
Supermarket price war attracts short sellers to record positions in sector June 9, 2015 It's no secret UK supermarkets have been under the cosh both in terms of the ongoing price war with discounters Aldi and Lidl, as well as several problems of their own making. Now it seems short sellers are making hay while the sun shines. The sector has attracted record interest from short sellers, with [...]
Morrisons back on the offensive: Has the retailer put its darkest days behind it? June 8, 2015 David Potts wasted no time in stamping his mark on Morrisons when he took the helm of the retailer in March. After years of haemorrhaging sales, the ailing supermarket was in urgent need of a turnaround. And for the 58 year-old retail evangelist, that meant not only making sweeping changes at the top – including [...]
FTSE dips despite Diageo gains after takeover reports – London Report June 8, 2015 TAKEOVER speculation sent some FTSE shares higher but overall the UK’s top index was offset by poorer performances elsewhere in the market yesterday. It finished near the previous session’s two-week low The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 0.2 per cent lower at 6,790.04 points after falling to a two-month low in the previous session. Diageo [...]
CEO doppelgangers tested by Microsoft’s #TwinsOrNotRobot face detection software June 8, 2015 Fresh from telling us how old we (and top bosses) look, Microsoft has put its face recognition software to a similarly wonderful use with #TwinsOrNotRobot. Simply upload two pictures and an algorithm will tell you how similar the pictured pair look. We've put quite a few top business leaders through it and come up with these [...]
Morrisons cuts prices on 200 items as boss David Potts swings the axe in supermarket price wars June 8, 2015 Morrisons is the latest supermarket to swing the axe in the ongoing price wars, with price cuts on hundreds of products. David Potts, the former Tesco executive who replaced Dalton Phillips at the top, has made his first move in the battle of the supermarkets as it tries to compete with discounters and its big [...]
US buyout firm enters race for £2bn Tesco arm June 7, 2015 ANOTHER company has joined the clamour for a slice of Tesco’s data business which was behind the supermarket’s hugely successful Clubcard loyalty scheme. Hellman & Friedman, the US private equity firm, is the latest bidder said to be interested in Dunnhumby, joining a crowded line-up of potential buyers willing to splash out as much as [...]
Tesco’s Dunnhumby has another suitor as Hellman & Friedman join WPP, Nielsen and several private equity firms June 7, 2015 Yet another company has joined the clamor for a slice of Tesco's data business which was behind the supermarket's hugely successful Clubcard loyalty scheme. Hellman & Friedman, the US private equity firm, is the latest bidder said to be interested in Dunnhumby, joining a crowded line-up of potential buyers willing to splash out as much as [...]
Halfords pedals to £1bn revenue after cycle boom June 5, 2015 HALFORDS recorded revenue in excess of £1bn in the year to the end of March thanks to strong sales in both its car and cycle businesses, sending shares higher in trading yesterday. The retailer posted an 11.4 per cent rise in full-year profit to £84.1m on an 6.8 per cent rise in revenue to £1.004bn. [...]
Tesco: What assets has it sold off and what’s heading to the checkout as billion-pound South Korea sale considered? June 5, 2015 Streamlining, belt tightening, slimming down: call it what you will, but Tesco assets are making their way through the checkout at a swift pace, as the troubled supermarket attempts to raise funds for its turnaround. The latest item heading for the bagging area after reporting its biggest ever loss, is part of its large and [...]