CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 18, 2011 The Miles Partnership Sue Shipley is to join the search firm as a partner to specialise in retail. Shipley was previously the global practice leader at Odgers Berndtson, where she led successful searches for the chief executives of Primark and Thorntons, the managing director of Wickes, and the director general of the British Retail Consortium. [...]
Morrisons to create 7,000 new jobs as it opens branches and warehouses December 14, 2011 WM MORRISON Supermarkets said it will create over 7,000 new jobs next yet, as it opens 25 new stores and develops its manufacturing and logistics operations. Britain’s fourth largest grocer behind J Sainsbury, Asda and market leader Tesco said many of the new jobs created next year will be skilled positions such as butchery, bakery [...]
OFT tobacco fines overturned December 12, 2011 Imperial Tobacco and several leading retailers have won a court battle to overturn record fines imposed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) over allegations of unlawful pricing. A fine of £112.3m handed down to Imperial Tobacco last year was reversed, while Morrisons, Asda, Co-Op and Shell also had cases against them overturned by the [...]
Bond to stay with Wiggle after Bridgepoint swoops for £180m December 7, 2011 PRIVATE equity house Bridgepoint has won a bidding war to buy Wiggle, the online cycling and sports retailer, for £180m from Isis. The buyout firm completed the deal after an auction process launched last month by Rothschild. Advent, EQT and 3i had been keen on purchasing the company, which is chaired by former Asda boss [...]
Lloyds private equity bid for UK manufacturer in trouble November 24, 2011 THE PRIVATE equity arm of taxpayer-owned Lloyds bank has run into trouble in its bid for a family-owned British manufacturer in a deal worth about £70m, City A.M. can reveal. The family that owns Benson Group, which produces packaging for well-known brands sold in Asda, Tesco and Boots, has been trying to sell out of [...]
Early xmas deals boost retail sector November 17, 2011 Early pre-Christmas promotions gave a surprise lift to British retail sales in October, driving up volumes at their fastest pace since June, official data showed on Thursday. The Office for National Statistics said sales volumes including automotive fuel rose 0.6 per cent last month after a 0.5 per cent rise in September and confounding forecasts [...]
Sales are strong at Asda but high fuel costs keeping shoppers away November 15, 2011 SUPERMARKET group Asda yesterday reported a pick up in third-quarter sales growth, helped by revamped own-brand food ranges and a pledge to be cheaper than rivals. Sales at stores open more than a year rose 1.3 per cent, excluding fuel and VAT sales tax, in the three months to September, Britain’s second-biggest supermarket group said [...]
Wal-mart’s plan to absorb food prices hits gains November 15, 2011 WAL-MART’S decision to absorb rising food costs for its stressed US shoppers has weighed on profitability, the firm admitted yesterday, even as key US sales rose for the first time in more than two years. Wal-mart, the US grocery giant that owns Asda, said sales at stores open more than a year rose a higher-than-expected [...]
Wal-Mart and Asda see sales rise November 15, 2011 The world’s biggest supermarket, Wal-Mart, has missed expectations for its profits in the third quarter of this year, despite seeing sales increase compared to 2010. Wal-Mart, which owns the UK’s Asda supermarkets, said it had seen continuing slowdown in its dominant US market as consumers saw their incomes squeezed, but still managed to raise sales [...]
UK’s plan to cut sick bills November 13, 2011 WHITEHALL Mandarins are understood to be close to finalising a deal aimed at cutting the UK’s £13bn sickness absence bill. Officials hope to have new rules ready by the end of the month to discourage sick leave, including enrolling workers on a health insurance scheme. The plan could see workers – as well as employers [...]