Brands’ battle for the eyeballs: watch all the Christmas ads here November 13, 2020 As some of the UK’s biggest brands have rolled out their seasonal ads, it’s starting to feel a lot more festive. The battle for the eyeballs started in earnest this morning as John Lewis launched its annual television advertisement, gaining over one million views within just two hours. However, Aldi’s ad so far tops the [...]
New Asda owning Issa brothers sell stake in petrol station giant EG Group November 13, 2020 New Asda owning Issa brothers sell stake in petrol station giant EG Group
Waitrose pledges to keep meat and fish counters open as rivals shutter services November 11, 2020 Waitrose has this morning pledged to keep its meat, fish and deli counters open, taking on the supermarkets that have shuttered the services to cut costs amid falling demand. The up-market grocer said it is committed to the long-term future of its food service counters, and is planning to expand its meat and fish range [...]
Dido Harding slammed for ‘three per cent’ Test and Trace success rate November 10, 2020 Baroness Dido Harding has been slammed by MPs for the “three per cent” success rate of England’s contact tracing programme, as the Test and Trace chair faced her first formal grilling in the Commons. Health and social care committee chair Jeremy Hunt pressured Harding to explain why only “three per cent of the total theoretical [...]
Christmas shoppers flock to toy shops ahead of second Covid-19 lockdown November 10, 2020 Toy and entertainment retailers reported a surge in shopper numbers in the days leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as Brits snapped up Christmas presents ahead of the closure of non-essential stores. The latest analysis showed that toy stores more than doubled their share of pre-pandemic footfall between Monday and Wednesday last week. But one [...]
Wincanton to restart dividend payments on strong outlook November 5, 2020 Logistics firm Wincanton announced that it would restart paying dividends today on top of bullish forecasts for its financial outlook. Although profit shrunk from £26.2m to £19.1m in the first half of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the FTSE 250 firm said that it expected its full year results to be “materially ahead” [...]
Ahold Delhaize launches €1bn share buyback as Covid-19 boosts sales November 4, 2020 Supermarket giant Ahold Dehlaize today said it will launch a €1bn (£896m) share buyback as it posted a rise in revenue for the third quarter. The retailer, which operates grocery chains across the US and Europe, said the buyback will begin at the beginning of 2021 and marked the strength in its business model. It [...]
October saw second highest ever month for ‘mega deals’ November 2, 2020 October was a bumper month for mergers and acquisition activity, with the second-highest monthly tally of “mega deals” on record. Nineteen mega deals – worth $5bn or more – were announced last month, a monthly tally exceeded only once, in May 2007, according to data from Refinitiv. Since 1 January, 93 mega deals have been [...]
Welcome to the Age of Boycotts, where controversy can be a brand’s best friend October 8, 2020 This summer’s hectic news agenda made corporate boycotts the latest hot fashion accessory — and it’s not a trend that looks likely to die any time soon. But rather than panicking and getting ready to fold to the demands of the online (and offline) mob, companies should reframe the risk of being subject to a [...]
Moonpig mulls public listing following lockdown boom October 2, 2020 Online greeting card retailer Moonpig is in talks for a stock market flotation after a boom in sales during lockdown stamped its position on the e-commerce market. Moonpig Group, owned by Exponent Private Equity, is in talks with investment banks about options that include a public listing, according to Sky News. Discussions are thought to [...]