Any Other Business – 03/09 September 2, 2013 A few corks, or bottle tops, will be popping at supermarket Asda over the news that the chain’s own-brand Extra Special Golden Ale (pictured) is all the rage in Japan. The bottled drink is the second-best-selling beer over all the 368 branches of Japanese supermarket chain Seivu, according to the Grocer magazine. In fact, it [...]
King of the supermarket: The long-serving boss of Sainsbury’s talks shop September 1, 2013 Justin King speaks to Elizabeth Fournier as he nears 10 years at the top of the UK’s third-biggest retailer IT’S not been an easy 2013 for Britain’s supermarkets. From January’s discovery of horsemeat in the UK food chain to the disastrous collapse of a Bangladeshi clothing factory in April, retail bosses have been forced to [...]
Sainsbury’s sales boost retailer to a larger share of the market August 28, 2013 SAINSBURY’S has successfully raised its share of the market through 2013, with sales growing as other retailers slip behind. In the 12 weeks to 18 August, Sainsbury’s saw a 49 per cent hike in sales, when compared to the same period last year, rising from £3.86bn to £4.05bn. According to the figures, collected from 30,000 [...]
Businesses warn retail recovery isn’t sustainable as sales growth hits nine month high August 28, 2013 UK retail sales grew at the fastest annual pace in nine months in the year to August, while employment in the sector grew by the most in 11 years, according to survey data from the Confederation of British Industry. Nearly half (49 per cent) of retailers responding to the Distributive Trades Survey for August said [...]
Kate Bostock returns to the high street as Coast boss August 20, 2013 KATE Bostock, former head of general merchandise at Marks & Spencer, is to make a return to the high street next month as chief executive of Coast, the womenswear brand confirmed yesterday. Bostock’s appointment comes just weeks after she stepped down from Asos after a short-lived seven month stint as executive director at the online [...]
Income squeeze runs on despite boost to growth August 18, 2013 DISPOSABLE incomes for households are still declining, despite recent growth in the economy, and now stand £1 per week lower than they did in July last year. According to Asda’s income tracker, the average household had £160 per week of disposable income last month, in comparison to £161 in July 2012, and £165 at the [...]
Asda still set to expand even as revenues slow August 15, 2013 ASDA, Britain’s second largest supermarket, said yesterday that it would continue to carry out an “aggressive” growth strategy building more stores, as it reported a slowdown in second quarter like-for-like sales. Grocers like Tesco have called an end to an era of rapid growth known as the “space race”, turning their attention instead to online, [...]
Any Other Business – 16/08 August 15, 2013 ■ Jessica Ennis-Hill is boring under the streets of London, as the namesake for Crossrail’s seventh tunnelling machine. The 1,000 tonne boring machine, whose name was picked by local primary school children, will start building a new 1.7 mile Crossrail tunnel from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green. She will soon by joined by a [...]
Walmart revises down earnings forecast as US comparable sales miss August 15, 2013 Asda owner Walmart has reported same-store sales in the US fell by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of the year – missing analyst expectations of a one per cent rise (release). Walmart revised down its full-year earnings per share (EPS) expectation to a range of $5.10 to $5.30 from the previous range of [...]
Asda launches honours degree scheme for staff August 12, 2013 ASDA employees will this year be able to study for an undergraduate degree under a three-year scheme in partnership with Middlesex University. The supermarket giant said it will offer 30 Asda staff the chance to study for a BA (Hons) degree in either distribution or retail operations while retaining a salaried position in the store, [...]