US non-farm payrolls: The US added 228,000 new jobs in November ahead of crucial Fed meeting December 8, 2017 The US added 228,000 new jobs in November. The data comes ahead of an important Federal Reserve meeting, scheduled for next week, where it is expected to raise rates to their highest level in more than nine years. The consensus expectation was for November non-farm payrolls to increase by 198,000, which would represent a significant [...]
Just Eat faces a tall order – it needs to keep delivering for its investors if it’s to be number one in the £9.9bn takeaway sector December 1, 2017 Just Eat delivered more than just takeaways last month. It not only set a new Guinness world record for the largest human image of a pizza but also received the green light to gobble up rival Hungryhouse. But the cherry on the cake for Just Eat was joining the FTSE 100 this week with a [...]
Bricks or clicks? Rumours of the high street’s demise have been greatly exaggerated November 28, 2017 The way we shop may have changed markedly over time, but the nation’s appetite for shopping is as voracious as ever. This was shown, once again, in the frenzy around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, now important landmarks in the retail calendar. Early estimates suggest that spending exceeded £7bn. The fundamental shift has been driven [...]
Kantar figures: Lidl maintains position as UK’s fastest growing grocer as Sainsbury’s outpaces Big Four November 14, 2017 Lidl has kept its crown as the UK’s fastest growing grocer for a fifth quarter in a row, as Sainsbury’s becomes the best performing of the Big Four. Figures published by Kantar Worldpanel this morning show that sales were up 15.1 per cent at Lidl in the 12 weeks to 5 November, with 10.6m households [...]
Marks and Spencer turnaround: Retail veteran Steve Rowe must make M&S tills jingle all the way during Christmas period November 9, 2017 Marks and Spencer started this week on a cheery note with the launch of its Christmas advert – but the festive feel didn’t last long for the high-street stalwart. The new advert sent Twitter into a tizzy on Tuesday with some viewers convinced that one of the characters was mouthing a swear word in a [...]
Sales rise but market share falls for Big Four grocers as Aldi and Lidl continue to grow October 17, 2017 Each of the big four grocers has grown sales but seen a decrease in market share as Aldi and Lidl can now boast half the total market’s growth, new figures show. Morrisons was the fastest growing of the large retailers, with sales up 2.8 per cent in the 12 weeks to 8 October, followed by [...]
Co-op has made a formal offer to buy convenience chain Nisa for £137.5m October 10, 2017 The Co-operative has offered to buy convenience chain Nisa for £137.5m. Nisa released a statement this morning saying that its board had unanimously recommended the offer to its members. The offer includes £137.5m for the full shareholding of the company plus associated deal costs of £5.5m, totting up to a total cost to Co-op of [...]
McColl’s co-founder James Lancaster steps down amid rumours of involvement with Palmer & Harvey rescue October 4, 2017 The co-founder of convenience chain McColl’s has stepped down from the board with immediate effect, amid rumours that he is involved in a rescue deal for a major wholesaler. James Lancaster has resigned as non-executive director at McColl’s, the convenience chain which recently signed a supply deal with Morrisons. Lancaster’s name has been floated as [...]
Aldi bags record UK sales growth though profit dips as it plans more UK expansion September 25, 2017 German budget grocer Aldi’s quest for UK domination continues as its sales growth picked up in the UK, though profits dipped in its full-year results due to “continued investment in prices and infrastructure”. The supermarket onslaught continues however, as the firm outlined plans for 70 new supermarkets for 2018 amid its efforts to hit 1,000 [...]
Co-op’s the latest supermarket to drop the tampon tax, following Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons August 28, 2017 Co-op has become the latest supermarket to take a stand on the so-called tampon tax by cutting out the additional cost for customers. It follows similar action taken by Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons in the past few weeks. Read more: Tampon tax: Morrisons hops on bandwagon to absorb the cost The cost of tampons and [...]