FTSE 100 Live: Pound hits two month low after byelection, Flutter shares tumble February 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. We were treated to a whole host of corporate updates yesterday and investors in some of the City’s biggest blue-chips were handed plans for bumper returns. Aerospace giant Rolls-Royce revealed ambitions to dish out up to £9bn to shareholders through from 2026 to 2028. The [...]
Sainsbury’s could slash 300 jobs in head office shakeup February 26, 2026 Retail giant Sainsbury’s could axe up to 300 jobs as it overhauls its tech and head office teams across its supermarket and Argos operations. The grocery is restructuring its technology and data unit into one dedicated team for Argos and two for Sainsbury’s. The firm, which employs around 140,000 people, announced it would cut 3,000 [...]
Ocado boss: We were naive to accept orders but US firms should have worked harder February 26, 2026 After its share price tumbled on Thursday morning, the boss of Ocado was given the chance to evade the blame for shuttered warehouses and job cuts. The retail tech group’s financial results set out easing losses and slowly climbing revenue. But it was the plans to cut 1,000 jobs – mostly at the company’s Hertfordshire [...]
Ocado shares tumble as boss warns of job cuts February 26, 2026 The boss of online retailer Ocado has warned of “significant” job cuts after US retail giant Kroger pulled out of its automated warehouse partnerships, prompting shares to tumble. The group confirmed it has closed several warehouses in North America and warned that further job losses are to come as Ocado continues to “simplify” its model. [...]
How to drink sake: A beginner’s guide February 10, 2026 Have you heard the siren call of sake? This Japanese drink is everywhere and it’s the coolest thing to be quaffing (though you can enjoy it chilled, warm or hot). The problem is that it is quite complicated compared to wine, so I have compiled a brief beginner’s guide to make you a speedy sake [...]
Valentine’s Day: My top recommendations for the perfect date January 29, 2026 Whether you’re treating your partner to a night on the town, whisking them out of the city for a weekend away or just cosying up together at home, here are my top recommendations for Valentine’s Day. For London lovers The Elizabeth on Ebury St, Belgravia will be serving a special three-course menu (£55pp) with an [...]
M&S shakes off cyber chaos with strong Christmas sales January 8, 2026 Marks & Spencer (M&S) has delivered a steadier than feared Christmas trading update, offering some festive cheer for investors after a year, overshadowed by a costly cyber attack and months of disrupted online sales. The retailer reported group sales of £5bn for the 13 weeks to 27 December, up 3.3 per cent excluding Ocado Retail, [...]
Christmas grocery shopping hits fresh high while Brits make budget trimmings January 7, 2026 Brits splashed out on groceries in the run-up to Christmas but watched their budgets more than ever, as own-brand products and cut-price veg caught the eyes of shoppers. Festive grocery sales increased by 3.8 per cent on the previous year, as Brits spent a record £13.8bn on Christmas supermarket shops amid moderately easing retail inflation [...]
Ocado eyes global tech push after US setback December 30, 2025 Shares in Ocado slipped two per cent on Tuesday as the online grocery group outlined plans to sell its AI-driven warehouse tech globally, following a turbulent year for its international operations. Most of Ocado’s exclusivity deals with global partners, including US retail giant Kroger, have now expired, freeing the company to pitch its evolved robotic [...]
Asda: Will 2026 be the year supermarket giant bounces back? December 26, 2025 This time last year, analysts warned that Asda needed to “dig down into its soul” if it was to turn around its fortunes. After a rollercoaster 2024 in which it struggled with debt, strikes and falling sales, the Leeds-headquartered supermarket giant was hoping the new year would begin to reveal green shoots of recovery. Under [...]