John Lewis Partnership considers further reforms to staff benefits as squeeze on retailers tightens November 4, 2016 High street stalwart the John Lewis Partnership is considering further curbs on staff benefits as it becomes the latest retailer to fight back against soaring costs for the sector. Documents seen by City A.M. suggest the escalating national living wage could cost the John Lewis Partnership an additional £171m in 2020. Between 2015, when the [...]
Analysts welcome a full year of growth for Morrisons November 3, 2016 Morrisons' share price was climbing this morning after the retailer said that its like-for-like sales were up 1.6 per cent in the third quarter, marking a year of positive same-store sales. Halloween sales jumped 20 per cent in the period. The company's share price was up 1.2 per cent this morning as a result, and [...]
The Aldi fightback is on: Morrisons records fourth consecutive quarter of growth November 3, 2016 After the devastating news that Morrisons was hiking the price of Marmite, it needed a good third quarter. And it has delivered the fourth consecutive quarter of growth, with sales up 1.6 per cent. Potentially a sign of, whisper it quietly, momentum building? The figures The 13 weeks to 30 October, like-for-like sales were up [...]
Marmitegate is back: Now Morrisons is increasing the price of Marmite October 28, 2016 Remember when Marmite broke the internet a couple of weeks ago when Tesco and Unilever locked horns over pricing and Tesco threatened to stop selling the yeasty spread? Well, it now looks like Marmite really is in trouble, after Morrisons admitted it needs to hike its price by a whopping 12.5 per cent, according to retail [...]
Opinion: Why housebuilders need to use their developments to champion British design and nurture homegrown talent October 21, 2016 It’s an unfortunate truth that the real estate industry often overlooks the deep pool of design talent in Great Britain. While the origins of design might seem insignificant, after decades of outsourcing design to far-flung corners of the globe, it is time for us to assume a new level of responsibility in supporting British designers. [...]
Take that, Aldi: Tesco gains market share for the first time in years but Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda decline further October 18, 2016 It looks like Tesco is beginning to win the battle of the supermarkets, after new figures showed it won supermarket share in the last three months – for the first time in five years. Figures by Kantar Worldpanel showed Tesco increased sales by 1.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to 9 October, which pushed its [...]
Marmitegate is the “thin end of the wedge” for the retail industry October 14, 2016 Tesco and Unilever's public price war is the "thin edge of the wedge" for the retail sector after the Brexit vote, analysts have said, as the prospect of higher import costs and job losses weigh on the industry. Unilever has used the fall of sterling after the Brexit vote as a basis for increasing its prices for [...]
On National Poetry Day, City A.M. turns its searing newswriting hand to something more artistic October 6, 2016 It's National Poetry Day – you may have seen – so while simultaneously reporting the biggest business stories and breaking news, City A.M. journalists have written a few lines of poetry to cover some of the major talking points in recent days. Vice reporter Francesca Washtell offers 'Sin Haiku': Booze, cigs, sugar, bets, Vice would seem to have it [...]
As the Opec cartel agrees to cut oil production, should central banks prepare for a rise in inflation? September 29, 2016 David Morrison, senior market strategist at Spread Co, says Yes. Crude soared on Opec’s announcement not just to freeze, but to actually cut production. Yet the upside momentum appears to have petered out for now. No wonder, given the lack of detail over who will bear the brunt of the proposed cuts and uncertainty concerning a [...]
“Sainsbury’s footfall is falling short” – analysts react to the retailer’s trading update September 28, 2016 Sainsbury's issued a 1.1 per cent fall in like-for-like sales this morning, and analysts' reactions have been pretty scathing. The retailer boosted its volumes, but the supermarket price war has eroded any benefit Sainsbury's might have wanted to see in its like-for-likes as a result. Sainsbury's share price has dropped 3.67 per cent today following [...]