Sainsbury’s heir to the throne quits to join media powerhouse WPP October 1, 2019 Sainsbury’s has confirmed the CEO of Argos is quitting the retail space to join advertising giant WPP as its new chief financial officer, sparking speculation that boss Mike Coupe is in for the long haul. John Rogers, widely tipped as Coupe’s long-term successor, will leave the retailer on 31 October after almost 15 years at [...]
Are UK supermarkets ready for Brexit? September 25, 2019 “One can say very clearly what the direction will be: higher prices, less choice, and poorer quality, because all of those dimensions have been improved by these open trading relationships that we’ve had over the last 40 years […] Brexit, almost in whatever version it is, will introduce friction, it will introduce barriers. That makes [...]
Sainsbury’s plans local supermarket expansion as it quits mortgage market September 25, 2019 Around 110 new Sainsbury’s Local stores will open up across the country, the supermarket announced today as it closed a swathe of stores and pulled out of the mortgage market. Weeks after reports emerged of a major shake up at Sainsbury’s Bank, the store confirmed that it would immediately stop new mortgage sales. It is [...]
Physical entertainment sales slump amid shift to streaming August 12, 2019 The physical entertainment market declined by almost a fifth over the last quarter, as the growing popularity of streaming services continues to impact traditional formats. Sales of CDs, DVDs and video games dropped 19 per cent in the 12 weeks to the end of June, as a reduction in shopper numbers was compounded by a [...]
Debenhams chairman to step down as restructuring expert appointed chief exec August 7, 2019 Debenhams chairman Terry Duddy is preparing to step down next month as the beleaguered department store’s owners appoint a restructuring expert as its new chief executive. Retail veteran Duddy, who previously ran Argos and Homebase, will leave chief restructuring officer Stefaan Vansteenkiste in charge of the company, Sky News reported. Read more: Debenhams prepares to [...]
Uber car rental startup Splend moves headquarters to London July 31, 2019 Uber car rental startup Splend has relocated its headquarters to London as it looks to cash in on the booming ride-sharing market. The Australian company, which provides cars, training and data analytics to drivers, has set up shop in Aldgate as it prepares to grow its presence in the capital. Read more: Uber lays off [...]
Retailers and bar chains set to cash in on heatwave July 24, 2019 This week’s heat wave could prove a bonus for retailers and pub chains which have struggled this year in comparison with 2018’s glorious summer. Temperatures tomorrow could smash the UK record for the hottest day ever with the Met Office predicting the mercury could rise to a maximum of 39℃. Russ Mould, investment director at [...]
Volkswagen and Ford strengthen ties by teaming up on electric and self-driving cars July 12, 2019 Two of the world’s biggest car makers, Volkswagen and Ford, have moved their existing commercial partnership up a gear this afternoon to collaborate on electric cars and self-driving cars. Read more: Ford gears up to announce up to 550 job losses for UK office workers amid turnaround efforts The firms are looking to pull ahead [...]
ii view: Sales retreat at Sainsbury’s July 8, 2019 By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Tough comparatives have impacted results for this supermarket, but that is no surprise. First quarter trading for 16 weeks to 29 June 2019 Total sales down 1.2 per cent (excluding fuel) Like-for-like sales declined 1.6 per cent (excluding fuel) Grocery sales fell 0.5 per cent General merchandise sales down 3.1 per cent [...]
What’s wrong at Dixons Carphone? Analysts react to loss as shares dive June 20, 2019 Dixons Carphone revealed huge losses of £259m this morning and warned there was “more pain” to come in its struggling mobile phone division. It blamed the rapidly changing mobile phone market in the UK and said it would take two years to break even amid a transformation plan. Read more: Dixons Carphone shares plunge as [...]