FTSE bounces four per cent as hope for euro plan grows September 27, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index gained strongly yesterday, posting its biggest one-day percentage gain for 16 months, boosted by a rally from commodity stocks and advances by banks on increased hopes that European leaders will take decisive action to alleviate the region’s debt crisis encouraged investors. Banking stocks, among the most sensitive to the twists in [...]
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 [...]
The robotic killers that could take over Blue Peter September 25, 2011 Animals aren’t high-tech enough. They don’t have screens. You can’t easily upgrade them. Last night I spent six hours trying to control a fox with my iPhone, with limited success. Don’t take my word for it – ask the makers of Blue Peter. They have decided not to relocate the show’s famous menagerie in the [...]
Why Ocado isn’t delivering as the markets hoped September 19, 2011 WHEN Ocado came to the market in July 2010, to some (its investors) it was a great opportunity to buy into a growth online market with a unique business model and amazing technology. The company had been going for ten years and was just about to break through the tipping point, which would lead profits [...]
Top retailers lose out on £500m in online market September 18, 2011 SOME of the UK’s retail giants are missing out on millions in online sales as they fail to grasp the potential of new technology, a survey shows today. The UK’s best known brands were found to have squandered a potential £500m in sales between 2007 and 2010. According to research from Oxford Economics, supermarket giant [...]
History lives on in the City of Angels September 18, 2011 WELCOME to LA. Embrace the pain!” jokes leading man Scoot McNairy in the touching 2007 indie flick In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. McNairy’s character is a failed, lonely screenwriter trying to woo a failed, lonely actress (Sarah Simmonds) on a New Year’s Eve date. His poignant words echo around the famous Orpheum Theatre, a [...]
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 [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 11, 2011 WM MORRISON Deutsche Banks rate the supermarket group as “hold” with a target price of 310p, up from 272p. Following results last week, the broker says Morrisons is in a good place relative to other UK food retailers, but lacks growth potential compared to other stocks in the sector. If the supermarket does not achieve [...]
Sales surge at Morrisons September 8, 2011 MORRISONS marked its forecast-beating first half results with a renewed effort to finally enter the online delivery market – more than a decade after its rivals launched their services. The supermarket saw an 8.9 per cent rise in first-half profits to £449m, as a focus on fresh foods, low prices and promotions helped it chip [...]
Apple man to freshen up supermarket September 8, 2011 A quick glance at his CV shows that Morrisons’ appointment of Simon Thompson to managing director of its website is something of a coup. He left Apple in May after rising to become one of the most senior marketing-men in its European office. While working under Steve Jobs headed up the team responsible for its [...]