Record sales at Republic despite UK’s retail slump October 12, 2011 REPUBLIC, the private equity owned clothing chain now run by former Asda chief executive Andy Bond, has achieved record sales despite the slump on the high street. The accounts for Republic (Retail) show sales rose 4.5 per cent to £181.19m. Operating profit for the year to 30 January fell 7.3 per cent to £27.27m, however, [...]
Aldi market share lifts in tough climate October 11, 2011 BUDGET supermarket groups are growing sales faster than rivals in Britain’s grocery sector as cash-strapped shoppers battle to preserve their income by trading down, market research showed yesterday. Kantar Worldpanel said grocery sales rose 5.1 per cent year-on-year in the 12 weeks to 3 October, up from 4.5 per cent in the previous 12 week [...]
Sainsbury’s to join price match battle October 9, 2011 SAINSBURY’S will turn up the heat this week in the price war between the UK’s leading supermarkets with a pledge to match thousands of prices at rivals Tesco and Asda. The supermarket announced yesterday that it will start its “brand match” campaign this Wednesday, just two weeks after Tesco launched a £500m “Big Price Drop” [...]
Sainsbury’s sales edge up October 5, 2011 Sainsbury’s posted an expected rise in second-quarter underlying sales as store extensions and growth in convenience stores, online and non-food ranges helped it to overcome tough trading conditions. The group, which trails Wal-Mart’s Asda and market leader Tesco by annual sales, said on Wednesday sales at stores open over a year rose 1.9 per cent [...]
Tesco and Sainsbury’s in battle to step up sales October 2, 2011 TESCO reports it half yearly results on Wednesday with analysts predicting international sales offsetting sluggish figure for the UK. The grocer, which has slashed the prices on thousands of lines in a bid to trigger sales rises, will also be eyeing second quarter results from rival Sainsbury’s, which is reporting on the same day. New [...]
Brit heads up new Walmart arm September 28, 2011 American supermarket behemoth Walmart has shaken up its top team, and has chosen British exec David Cheesewright to head a new division encompassing the UK, Canada and Sub-Saharan Africa. Cheesewright, the former chief operating officer of Walmart-owned Asda, was most recently chief exec of Canadian operations.
Asda’s bid for Iceland warms up with Barcap September 25, 2011 ASDA appears to have moved closer to a bid for frozen food chain Iceland by lining up backing from Barclays Capital. It comes after Asda, Britain’s second-largest supermarket, brought on board advisers from Lazard in June to help it put together an offer. Iceland’s current owner, the resolution committee of collapsed bank Landsbanki, needs to [...]
Supermarket’s pricing war could put squeeze on Ocado September 21, 2011 TESCO is tipped to launch a price war next week, which one analyst says could put the squeeze on online deliver service Ocado under its pledge to match prices. The retailer was said by industry sources to be trying to dent Asda’s sales, but Ocado could be hit in the crossfire. Panmure Gordon’s Philip Dorgan [...]
Morrisons share edges up as thrift is order of the day September 13, 2011 MORRISONS has emerged as the current market share winner among the big four grocers as consumers look for savings in the tough economic environment. The grocer’s market share improved to 11.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to 4 September compared to 11.4 per cent in the comparable period last year, figures from Kantar Worldpanel [...]
Government bans injury claim referral fees September 9, 2011 The government has banned the referral fees paid for customer data that have been blamed for a surge in personal injury claims against car insurers, retailers and the NHS. The Ministry of Justice has said the ban on such fees, to apply solely to personal injury cases, is designed to tackle the alarming rise in [...]