More changes on the Tesco board as Ken Hanna and Stuart Chambers quit May 5, 2015 It's all-change at Tesco at the moment: following the appointment of Dave Lewis as chief executive and John Allan as chairman, two of the supermarket's non-executive directors have decided to step down. More on this story: Is Sainsbury's about to have its Tesco moment? Ken Hanna and Stuart Chambers, who have served on the board for [...]
Aldi and Lidl expansion plans speed ahead of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda in supermarket wars with five times as many planning applications May 5, 2015 Rival German discounters continue to outpace the UK's "big four" in the supermarket wars with ambitious plans for expansion five times the rate of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and Asda combined. While Tesco and Morrisons have been forced to shutter stores in the midst of declining sales and squeezed margins, Aldi and Lidl have submitted plans [...]
Ex-Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy’s investment firm eyes New Look bid with China’s CDH May 5, 2015 The investment firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), which names supermarket supremo Sir Terry Leahy among its advisers, is assembling a bid for high street fashion chain New Look, according to reports. The private equity firm, which former Tesco boss Leahy joined in 2011, has held talks with Chinese group CDH to mount a bid for [...]
Cost of the weekly shop declines as supermarket price war rages on May 5, 2015 The cost of the average weekly grocery shop plunged by eight per cent year-on-year in May as fierce competition between the grocers continues to impact the market. Research by mySupermarket’s Groceries Tracker showed that a basket of 35 staple products across all major grocers cost a total of £86.69 in May, down from £93.87 12 [...]
Sainsbury’s braced for first loss in a decade as supermarkets move to downsize May 5, 2015 Battling with excess space and a revival at Tesco, Sainsbury’s is having to fight harder than ever. It is early on a weekday morning, and the first wave of customers are yet to arrive at Sainsbury’s revamped store in Wandsworth – its aisles stacked high with everything from garden furniture to Le Creuset-style saucepans [...]
Razor sharp: Will King talks moving on from King of Shaves, politics, a plan for Tesco and why we need Tinder for voting May 4, 2015 I came, I saw, I shaved, I died’ isn’t how I want to be remembered,” quips Will King. In 1993, he founded King of Shaves, the popular men’s toiletries brand. In frustration over the poor quality of his own products, he turned to his then-girlfriend’s bath oil for a smoother finish. The resulting businesses, including [...]
How old do you look? Microsoft’s new face detection software guesses age, but how well does #HowOldRobot know top CEOs? May 1, 2015 Microsoft has created new facial recognition software which claims to be able to identify people's age and gender based solely on a single photo. Forget the bold leap into the future this technology brings, the website has caused a viral sensation as millions of people check out how they fare and whether a robot can [...]
Tesco moves £90m media account to WPP’s Mediacom ending 20 years with IPG’s Initiative April 30, 2015 Tesco boss Dave Lewis has done some more kitchen-sinking, ditching the company that has been in charge of placing its advertising for the last 20 years. The beleaguered supermarket has switched its media planning and buying account – worth £90m a year – to WPP's Mediacom from IPG's Initiative after a review, MediaWeek reports. It's [...]
Sports Direct’s put options in Debenhams are starting to expire – but did Mike Ashley’s bet pay off? April 30, 2015 Sports Direct's put options are starting to expire. The question on everyone's lips is, did Mike Ashley's bet pay off? The retailer, which first took a punt on the struggling department store in 2014, has gradually increased its stake in Debenhams to 16.6 per cent back via a series of put options. A put gives [...]
Tesco paves way for Dunnhumby sale with end to exclusive Kroger deal April 27, 2015 Tesco has taken a major step forward in paving the way for a sale of its lucrative Dunnhumby data business after agreeing a deal with US retailer Kroger to loosen an existing partnership which prevented the firm from expanding stateside. The joint venture with Kroger had been a thorny sticking point in any potential sale [...]