KKR halves Pets at Home stake and eyes Tesco June 9, 2015 PRIVATE equity giant KKR has nearly halved its stake in Pets at Home just as it emerged yesterday that the firm has been invited to bid for Tesco’s South Korean business. US-based KKR bought Pets at Home from private equity rival Bridgepoint in 2010 for £995m. The pet care and products retailer floated on the [...]
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 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 [...]
Morrisons is the only big four grocer “currently on right track”, says Nielsen June 5, 2015 Morrisons waits for good news for months and then three come along at once. The supermarket – which has, until now, been one of the more unloved – has already had one set of figures prove it's the only one of the big four in growth, which in turn prompted a share price rally, [...]
Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe misses out on payday perks June 4, 2015 Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe missed out on an annual bonus last year after the supermarket chain failed to meet sales and profit targets. The retailer’s annual report published yesterday revealed that Coupe’s annual pay package dropped to £1.5m in the year to March, down from £2m the previous year, when he was still commercial [...]
Supermarket sweep: Here’s how Britain’s rapidly changing grocery sector will look in 2020 June 4, 2015 Here's a slither of good news for Britain's embattled grocery sector – growth is likely to pick-up over the next five years, according to food and consumer goods researcher and charity IGD. The grocery market will swell by 13 per cent to £200.6bn by 2020, as growth picks up from a low of 1.7 per [...]
Morrisons clings to its position in FTSE 100 index June 3, 2015 MORRISONS yesterday narrowly escaped eviction from the FTSE 100 after being saved at the eleventh hour by strong retail figures. Inmarsat was yesterday promoted to Britain’s premier share index, while power company Aggreko was relegated to the FTSE 250. Bradford-based Morrisons had been widely expected to be demoted after suffering a decline in sales, profit [...]
Morrisons beats Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s to grow market share June 2, 2015 ONLY WM Morrison managed to improve its market position in the 12 months to the end of May, as the supermarket sector shake-out continues to pound the big four grocery chains. Morrisons sales edged up by 0.1 per cent on the year, as its market share held flat at 10.9 per cent. Aldi stormed up the [...]
LondonMetric embarks on £26m shopping spree at Marks & Spencer June 2, 2015 LondonMetric said yesterday that it has snapped up a portfolio of five M&S Simply Food stores for £26m, as it boosts its exposure to the booming convenience market. The FTSE 250 retail and distribution warehouse speciality said the acquisitions come on top of a recent letting of 11,300 sq ft to M&S for 20 years [...]
Morrisons the only “big four” supermarket in growth June 2, 2015 Is this a case of too little too late or the beginning of a turnaround? Morrisons was the only one of the “big four” supermarkets to grow over the last 12 weeks, according to latest figures by Kantar Worldpanel. The supermarket, which this week faces demotion from the FSTE 100, managed a sluggish 0.1 [...]