Sainsbury’s loses clash of the titans as its challenge over Tesco’s Price Promise is thrown out November 10, 2014 Tesco can breathe a sigh of relief – Sainsbury's claim that its Price Promise campaign was unlawful and like comparing “apples with pears” has been thrown out by a High Court judge. Sainsbury's had complained that, when applied to Tesco's own label products and fresh food, the price comparisons were misleading, unfair and unlawful. [...]
Fuel group calls for full inquiry into secretive petrol pricing process as oil continues to decline November 10, 2014 CAMPAIGN group FairFuel UK warned yesterday that petrol prices were not guaranteed to fall in tandem with the decline in benchmark oil prices. Brent crude dropped to a four-year low of $82 last week, and Asda, Morrison’s and Tesco all responded with a similar downward adjustment. This follows a call from chief secretary to the [...]
Sainsbury’s eyes dividend cuts as profits set to fall November 10, 2014 Spending cuts, including a reduction in its dividend, are tipped to be on the agenda for Sainsbury’s on Wednesday as the supermarket prepares to rein in costs along with its first-half results. Analysts expect chief executive Mike Coupe will reveal a disappointing 12.5 per cent fall in profits to £350m for the period, as the [...]
In pictures: Inside Leeds’ new Netto store November 6, 2014 It was several months ago that Sainsbury's decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, and launched a tie-up with Danish discounter Netto. Today, the first of 15 new stores opened in Leeds. Lest we forget, the retailer beat a retreat from the UK market back in 2010, selling its 193 stores to Asda for [...]
Women “don’t get paid after today” claims #EqualPayDay report November 4, 2014 If you're a woman, you might want to down tools for the rest of the year, because from now on you are effectively working for free. That's the argument of a report claiming that the gender disparity in pay has actually grown to such an extent that, including full and part-time workers, men earn on [...]
Asda is discovering the perils of Britain’s incoherent employment regulations October 29, 2014 DESPITE a remarkable reduction in Employment Tribunal claims, the system continues to throw up major problems for employers, with potentially disastrous consequences for business. First, the government is worried about two recent claims concerning holiday pay. For many years, this entitlement has been calculated by reference to basic pay. But the claims, backed by trade [...]
Asda faces mass legal action over pay inequality: Female shopfloor workers say they receive less than males in warehouses October 26, 2014 Thousands of female shop floor workers are taking legal action against Asda over pay inequality. They claim they are paid less than many male employees working in warehouses, despite doing equally valuable work for the supermarket chain. Law firm Leigh Day told the Guardian that 19,000 Asda employees had approached it since April, [...]
Tesco is shopping for a new chairman October 23, 2014 SIR RICHARD Broadbent yesterday announced his plans to leave Tesco, and said he felt the need for a demonstration of accountability by the supermarket’s bosses. His decision came as the firm revealed its pre-tax profits had slumped 92 per cent on the year to £112m in the first six months of its financial year. Sales [...]
Who will replace Tesco chairman Richard Broadbent: Runners and riders October 23, 2014 Wanted: Heavyweight to lead a City institution. Must be good with numbers and new people. Retail knowledge preferred. Must be willing to have difficult conversations, understand customers and be confident in implementing new strategies. Hobbies should include "brand archeology". It’s a tough job. Is there anyone who would want to fill chairman Richard Broadbent’s shoes [...]
Retail jobs declining as pressure mounts on supermarket sector October 22, 2014 The number of staff per store on the high street slumped to a record low in the third quarter of the year, as troubled supermarkets overhauled their management structures to reverse sliding sales. The equivalent number of full-time jobs fell by 1.3 per cent between July and September, even as the number of stores increased [...]