Retailers balance ‘sadvertising’ and festive joy in this year’s Christmas adverts November 13, 2022 Retailers have faced pressure this year to put out adverts that not only have a feel good factor, but also do good. Against the backdrop of a gloomy winter, where many families will be forced to cut back on Christmas celebrations and gifts in order to keep the fridge stocked and heating on, getting the [...]
Asda completes £611m swoop for Co-op’s petrol business October 31, 2022 Asda has completed a £600m deal to buy the Co-op’s petrol business Asda this morning. The deal includes 129 petrol forecourt sites, spread across the UK and represents five per cent of Co-op’s retail estate of 2,564 stores. Co-op said it would use the proceeds to reinvest in the convenience business and reduce net [...]
Range of 30 low-cost items increase in price by 17 per cent in last year – ONS October 25, 2022 A range of 30 every-day low-cost items have increased in price by 17 per cent in the last year, new figures have revealed. Data from the Office for National Statistics show a range of products went up considerably over the 12 months to September, as the cost of living continues to bite. Items including vegetable [...]
Asda to open Express convenience stores in bid to gain market share October 18, 2022 Asda will open its first convenience stores this winter, as the supermarket hopes to appeal to more shoppers on the go. The first Asda Express store will open in Sutton Coldfield next month, followed by a store in Tottenham Hale in December. Some 30 more stores will be rolled out across 2023, in a scheme [...]
Boots sales surpass pre-Covid levels as city centres spring back to life October 13, 2022 Boots’ retail sales have exceeded pre-Covid levels for the fourth quarter, thanks to rebounding footfall in city centres. Retail sales were up 15.2 per cent on a like-for-like basis, with stores near transport hubs seeing a particular resurgence. Warm weather and a return of travel abroad also buoyed sales, with store transactions up more than [...]
City lawyer in the running to head competition watchdog October 12, 2022 The UK's competition watchdog could be closing in on a new boss, with a leading city lawyer tipped as a major contender for the hot seat.
Shoppers face £643 increase to yearly grocery bill October 11, 2022 Shoppers are facing an additional £643 jump in their annual grocery bill as grocery price inflation breaks another record. According to freshly published data from Kantar, grocery inflation sits at 13.9 per cent, the highest level since the data firm started tracking prices in the 2008 financial crisis. The average household’s annual grocery bill is [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile? October 7, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Atrato Alternatives asset management and advisory group Atrato has poached its latest director from abrdn to help oversee the supermarket investment fund management team. Ollie Mottram, who most recently held the position of transactions maager at abrdn, [...]
City sitdown: Private equity should learn to be more emotional, argues City grandee October 5, 2022 Whether you like it or not, private equity is a significant part of the UK economy and accounts for almost 50 percent of all deal value, double the level from just five years ago, according to a recent deal analysis from PwC. Its fingerprint has been all over household names including Asda, the AA, Morrisons and [...]
Drivers should have seen bigger fuel price cuts, says RAC October 5, 2022 Drivers should have seen a bigger cut in fuel prices at the pump after costs slumped in September. According to data published today by the RAC, the average price of a litre of petrol went down to 162.9p – the sixth biggest monthly drop since 2000. Filling up a 55-litre petrol car has gone back [...]