Bottom Line: Internet of things has no room for tradition May 15, 2014 LAST month, my aunt and uncle upgraded their Aga. The new model fits perfectly into their country kitchen – a tasteful pastel exterior and exposed, rustic hob – but there’s one big difference: this is an iAga, which can be controlled remotely by text or from a laptop (it even replies to tell you it’s [...]
Asda returns to sales growth as price cuts kick in May 15, 2014 SUPERMARKET giant Asda said yesterday it had returned to underlying sales growth in its first quarter as price-cuts started to attract thrifty shoppers. Asda, which trails market leader Tesco by annual sales and is vying with Sainsbury’s to be the UK’s no2 grocer, said like-for-like sales rose 0.1 per cent in the 15 weeks to [...]
Currency weighs on Hilton Foods May 14, 2014 Meat packing group Hilton Foods said yesterday the strength of the pound was continuing to dampen its results, though its new contract with Tesco was ramping up as planned. Overall trading had been in line with forecasts since December, the London-listed company said, adding that it continued to explore “opportunities to grow the business” in the [...]
Tesco to launch premium Hudl phone by Xmas May 6, 2014 TESCO yesterday announced that it would sell its own smartphone this year, following in the footsteps of its Hudl tablet last year. Tesco’s chief executive Philip Clarke, speaking on BBC Radio 5 yesterday morning, revealed the grocer’s plan to release a premium Hudl smartphone by Christmas. Clarke said the Hudl smartphone would be a high-end [...]
Tesco unveils plan for smartphone May 6, 2014 Tesco’s got plans to launch its first smartphone by the end of 2014, the BBC reports. The supermarket’s chief executive Philip Clarke, speaking on Radio 5 live’s Wake Up to Money, said the own-brand phone would be pre-installed with Tesco services. It’ll run on Google’s Android software with hardware similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S5. Tesco [...]
Saga puts retail investor at heart of London float April 30, 2014 SAGA, the over-50s holidays-to-insurance provider, yesterday unveiled plans for the biggest flotation in London this year, as a stampede of silver haired savers registered to snap up shares in the listing. The business, which was founded by east end hotelier Sidney De Haan in 1950, said it would raise £550m in an initial public offering [...]
Analysts predict price cuts at Sainsbury’s April 29, 2014 Analysts at Deutsche Bank issued a positive note on Sainbury’s today ahead of its full-year results next week, arguing that the supermarket group could be a relative winner in the sector compared to its rivals but warning that it will have to join them in slashing prices to stay ahead of the game. The [...]
Deloitte opens digital office in the capital’s technology district April 28, 2014 DELOITTE has followed KPMG, Tesco and William Hill by moving its digital operations team into the heart of London’s Tech City with a new office in Clerkenwell. The business services firm said it will move 170 staff from its 400-strong UK digital division into the new office on Clerkenwell Green. “If you look at how [...]
Best of the Brokers for 29 April 2014 April 28, 2014 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com DIAGEO Credit Suisse has cut the drinks group from “outperform” to “neutral” with a target reduced from 2,200p to 1,950p. The broker has also lowered its profit forecast for the coming year by eight per cent to reflect weaker growth in the US and emerging [...]
Donmar Privacy play reveals all April 28, 2014 THEATRE PRIVACY Donmar Warehouse | By Alex Dymoke Four Stars “IN 21 YEARS of invading people’s privacy I’ve never found anybody doing any good… Privacy is for paedos. Privacy is evil.” This speech by former News of the World hack Paul McMullan delivered to the Leveson inquiry is quoted verbatim in the first act of [...]