EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannau opens first EasyFood pilot store in London – with food priced at 25p February 2, 2016 Aldi and Lidl are about to get a taste of their own medicine, after EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannau has opened his first EasyFoodstore in north-west London, bringing the challenging spirit of the discount airline to the grocery sector. The Park Royal shop (next to the EasyBus depot on the North Circular, natch) will sell a limited and basic [...]
Tesco’s not out of the woods yet January 26, 2016 Tesco is still very much paying for the sins of the past, but it has started to turn the corner on the slow road to recovery. The coming weeks are likely to contain some unpleasant tidings for the embattled supermarket. The slap on the wrist from the grocery watchdog for failing to treat suppliers fairly is [...]
Every little helps Tesco take on German disruptors January 20, 2016 It seems the Big Four supermarkets are fighting back against German disruptors Aldi and Lidl, with big beast Tesco reporting better-than-expected figures for the Christmas period. Despite gloomy City forecasts, the news saw Tesco shares spike as optimism returned for the future of the embattled retailer with the turnaround being spurred by lower prices on some [...]
Pinot Noir Madam? Aldi challenges retail rivals by launching online wine shop January 19, 2016 Discounter Aldi has stepped up competition with its retailing rivals after launching its first online shopping service today selling over 90 different wines and champagnes by the case. The German retailer's new online wine cellar includes best sellers from its in-store ranges as well as a new range of "fine boutique wines", called the Lot Series, available only [...]
Holland & Barrett tells suppliers to foot the bill for company’s investment programme by reducing costs January 18, 2016 Healthfood retailer Holland and Barrett has urged its suppliers to slim down their costs by five per cent to help fund the company's pension scheme. In addition to the price cuts, the group wants its suppliers to foot the bill for its investment in security by paying for £3m-worth of security tags and high definition CCTV in the [...]
Low inflation in 2015 battered businesses as consumers rejoiced January 18, 2016 Businesses lost out to the tune of £16.8bn last year due to low inflation, new research given to City A.M. shows. Prices were only 0.1 per cent higher in November than a year ago, well below the Bank of England’s two per cent inflation target, and hovered around zero per cent for most of 2015. [...]
The count is in: These are the retail winners and losers for Christmas 2015 (according to Hargreaves Lansdown) January 15, 2016 After a busy few days chock-full of Christmas retail results, we're finally beginning to get a sense of who the winners and losers of 2015's festive period might be. Yesterday, Tesco surprised investors with better-than-expected results, rounding off a solid performance among the UK's traditional supermarket sector – although Asda is still yet to report. Marks & [...]
Big Four fight back: Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco report rising sales after years of stagnation January 15, 2016 Tesco became the third supermarket to reveal better-than expected Christmas results yesterday, in the clearest sign yet that the industry is staging a successful fightback against German discounters Aldi and Lidl. The so-called big four – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – have been battling to respond to changing shopping habits and reverse the tide [...]
Is Tesco saved? A small victory for Dave Lewis in the supermarket’s Christmas results, but 2016 remains a challenge January 14, 2016 Tesco reported its best Christmas trading results since Dave Lewis has been at the helm but does this really mean that ‘Drastic Dave’ and his management team can breathe a little easier? The dynamics of grocery shopping has changed with value and convenience the two biggest factors for consumers. Competition has never been fiercer so it would [...]
Best UK companies to work for in 2016: Jaguar Land Rover, AstraZeneca and Harrods top the list January 14, 2016 Jaguar Land Rover, AstraZeneca and Harrods are the top three UK companies to work for, according to a ranking by Statista, which was compiled for Bloomberg. Other household names comprising the top 10 included Adidas, Dyson, Microsoft, Estee Lauder, Sky, Frankie and Benny's and Rolls-Royce. Those working in the professional services were most likely to recommend their employer, while employees in [...]