Shop price inflation highest in a decade as Brits feel cost of living squeeze February 2, 2022 Retail inflation has soared in the past month, with Brits eyeing discount retailers for cheaper prices as the country faces a cost of living squeeze. Shop price annual inflation surged to 1.5 per cent in January, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen IQ shop price index. This was up from 0.8 per [...]
Households face extra £180 a year on average grocery bill February 1, 2022 Households are facing an extra £180 to their annual grocery bill after inflation has seen prices surge in recent months. The latest four-week grocery price inflation stands at 3.8 per cent, a 0.3 percentage point rise from December, according to the latest market data from Kantar. Take-home supermarket sales dropped 3.8 per cent over the [...]
‘John Lewis of sleep’: Eve Sleep shares sink 30 per cent despite accelerated lockdown growth January 19, 2022 Mattress retailer eve Sleep has reported lifted group revenue growth on 2019 levels with sleepy shoppers keen to opt for premium products. However the ‘sleeptailer’ saw shares sink 30 per cent on Wednesday after admitting Covid infection rates had “placed additional strain” on deliveries. The group posted two year group revenue growth of 11 per [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? January 13, 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. Aon Professional services firm Aon has hired an ex-HSBC director as its new enterprise client leader for financial institutions team. Pete Rutherford, who has held positions at Abrdn, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank, brings [...]
Not so little: Christmas jumpers power Lidl sales with one sold every two seconds January 11, 2022 A surge in demand for Christmas jumpers helped discount supermarket giant Lidl to post a 2.6% rise in sales over the festive season. The firm said its Christmas jumpers were the fastest-selling item in its so-called Middle of Lidl aisle, with around one sold every two seconds on its first day of sale. The group [...]
Investors eye UK supermarkets’ Christmas performance in busy week on London markets January 9, 2022 Investors will be eyeing how the UK’s biggest supermarkets fared over the Christmas trading period in a busy week of corporate announcements on London markets. Traders will be looking for clues in the string of supermarket updates on whether the imposition of plan B measures and soaring Covid-19 cases prompted consumers to divert money that [...]
Asda forgoes British beef pledge for cheaper Irish imports January 7, 2022 Asda has ditched its 100 per cent British beef pledge in favour of cheaper, Irish exports, prompting backlash from farmers. The pledge was just three months old before the supermarket chain reeled back on the ambition after prices rose in the UK. “Whilst we continue to work hard to keep prices as low as possible [...]
Shoppers opted for premium products this Christmas as grocery inflation hit 3.5 per cent January 5, 2022 Grocery sales hit £11.7bn over the Christmas period, as shoppers were keen to make the most of the festive period after Covid restrictions hampered celebrations last year. Shoppers spent record amounts on supermarkets’ premium own brand products, with £627m spent on pricier items over the four weeks to 26 December. This was an increase of [...]
Shoppers eye discount brands as increasing costs of essentials bite December 8, 2021 Shoppers are eyeing cheaper prices at discount supermarkets amid increases in the cost of living. Brands to focus on affordable prices have made market share gains over the past 12 weeks, according to fresh data from Kantar. Lidl hit a new record market share of 6.4per cent, while Aldi gained 0.2 percentage points to move [...]
Lidl promotes Ryan McDonnell to UK CEO November 26, 2021 Supermarket Lidl has announced current UK CEO Christian Härtnagel will become chief executive at Lidl Germany, while Ryan McDonnell will be promoted to lead the group’s UK operations. McDonnell, who left a family business in construction for Lidl’s graduate scheme in 2000, set up the company’s buying and marketing divisions. The supermarket business, which [...]