Failed Asda merger ‘trigger’ for Sainsbury’s CEO Mike Coupe’s exit January 22, 2020 The departure of Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe’s was sparked by the failure to merge the supermarket with rival Asda, analysts said today. Industry experts said it was impossible to look beyond the failure of the Asda merger, and felt his resignation – announced today – was simply a matter of time. Coupe was caught on [...]
Marks and Spencer’s former finance chief to join Belron January 8, 2020 Marks & Spencer’s ex-finance chief will make a swift return to the corporate world, only eight days after leaving the British retail stalwart. Humphrey Singer, who worked for Marks &Spencer’s for less than two years, will become the new chief financial officer at Belron, a vehicle glass repair firm. Read more: Ocado joint venture with [...]
UK stocks 2020: Which shares are City A.M. staff backing in the new year? December 30, 2019 The UK stock market looks set to end the year on a high after the Tories’ election win and progress in US-China trade talks alleviated the uncertainty that has weighed on markets for months. But the road ahead is far from clear, with the looming Brexit date of 31st January and various upcoming trade negotiations [...]
All the big high street retailers that collapsed in 2019 December 23, 2019 It has been another turbulent year for the UK high street, which has struggled to adapt to changing consumer behaviour while battling rising overhead costs. Household names such as Debenhams, Mothercare and Clintons hit the news after they were forced to launch restructuring plans, close stores or simply stop operations. Read more: Why high street [...]
Ocado set to be crowned the FTSE’s most valuable tech giant December 17, 2019 Analysts have said Ocado has the vision to become the “Microsoft of Retail tomorrow” and transition into the FTSE’s most valuable tech giant. Once finalised, the decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to de-designate Ocado as a retailer in August will make it the largest listed tech company in the UK by valuation. [...]
Ocado joint venture with Marks & Spencer ‘working well’ December 12, 2019 Ocado has said its joint venture with Marks & Spencer is “working well,” as the retail delivery giant said revenue growth slowed slightly in its latest quarter. The firm saw growth in weekly orders, but stable average order size for the 13 weeks to 1 December. Read more: Ocado sales growth accelerates after Andover fire [...]
Lidl sales help it hit record stake in UK supermarket sector December 10, 2019 The biggest supermarkets shed yet more market share to discounters Aldi and Lidl in the three months to the start of December, new data out today reveals. The big four grocers saw their collective market share drop by over one per cent to 67.7 per cent as people delayed their Christmas shopping and Black Friday [...]
Ocado offers £500m in bonds after Aeon warehouse deal December 2, 2019 Online grocer Ocado today announced a £500m bond issue as it seeks cash to fund tech arm Ocado Solutions’ commitments. The company said that the guaranteed senior unsecured convertible bonds, due 2025, are expected to carry a coupon of between 0.75 per cent and 1.25 per cent a year. Read more: Ocado shares soar on [...]
Better together: How media firms are teaming up to take on tech November 30, 2019 The media industry is in flux and embattled publishers and broadcasters are banding together. But will it be enough to fend off the might of big tech? In Succession, the hit HBO show about a crumbling media dynasty, virtually every conversation is a power struggle. But for ageing patriarch Logan Roy, a thinly-veiled Rupert Murdoch, [...]
Ocado shares soar on Japanese robot warehouse deal with Aeon November 29, 2019 Shares in online retailer Ocado jumped more than 11 per cent today after it announced a deal to help Japanese retailer Aeon launch a new online business. Ocado uses robot technology in its customer fulfilment centres (CFCs) to automate many processes. Read more: Ocado to build sixth warehouse as online grocer accelerates growth It said [...]