Private equity interest: Why is Morrisons such an attractive takeover target? June 21, 2021 Morrisons has rejected a £5.5bn takeover approach from a US private equity firm amid speculation that more UK supermarkets could be snapped up. Shares in Morrisons jumped earlier this morning following confirmation of the rejection at the weekend, as the chain said potential bidder Clayton, Dubilier & Rice “significantly undervalued” the grocer with its 230p-per-share [...]
Amazon retains crown as world’s most valuable brand June 21, 2021 Amazon has retained its place as the world’s most valuable brand, growing 64 per cent this year to $684bn – equivalent to the GDP of Poland. Amazon’s value grew by $268bn in the last year, according to data from Kantar, as a locked down world turned to the retailer for their online shopping. After Amazon, [...]
John Lewis faces backlash over plan to hike fees for brands June 20, 2021 John Lewis is facing a backlash from brands over how much they are being charged to stock products with the retail giant. Brands already pay John Lewis up to 50 per cent of each sale in commissions and fees, however the company’s chair Dame Sharon White has enlisted Alix Partners to renegotiate this higher. For [...]
Tesco bags over £10bn in sales as customers still favour home cooking June 18, 2021 Supermarket giant Tesco has taken in over £10bn in UK sales over the last quarter, with customers still in the habit of home cooking over restaurant dining as restrictions gradually lift. The UK, the chain’s main market, brought in a slight 0.5 per cent lift to sales in the 13 weeks to 29 May, in [...]
Euros tied with summer sun sees booze sales soar across the UK June 18, 2021 Alcohol sales in the UK have skyrocketed during the Euros, as sunny weather spurred fans to splash the cash on booze, according to data from PayPoint. Sales data from PayPoint’s network of 28,000 retailers found that over the weekend the Three Lions played their first fixture against Croatia, alcohol sales climbed 11 per cent in [...]
FTSE 100 drops while industrial stocks boost mid-caps June 18, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 dipped this morning after a fall in heavyweight oil majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell dragged down the index. The blue-chips fell by 0.5 per cent at the open, with oil dips offsetting gains in large dollar-earning consumer staples firms including Unilever and Diageo. These companies benefitted from a weaker pound, as [...]
UK retail sales fall in May as Brits swapped supermarkets for restaurants June 18, 2021 UK retail sales fell by 1.4 per cent in May following a sharp increase in April when lockdown restrictions were eased, according to new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. The monthly drop was unexpected, with economists predicting a 1.6 per cent increase. The largest contribution to the decline came from food stores, where sales [...]
UK businesses pay £1bn of furlough money back to the Treasury June 17, 2021 British firms have paid back the government more than £1bn in previously claimed furlough payments, after weathering the Covid recession successfully. A Freedom of Information request, sent by the Financial Times, revealed that £709m of money claimed through the coronavirus job retention scheme has now been repaid to HM Revenue and Customs by businesses. Another [...]
Dr Martens pays back furlough money after pandemic sales surge June 17, 2021 Dr Martens has handed back money borrowed under the Covid furlough scheme after reporting strong revenue growth in its first results as a publicly-listed company. The British bookmaker said it received £1.3m under the government’s job retention scheme in the early part of the pandemic, but had since returned the funds. It came as the [...]
Online bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing to secure £850m value via IPO June 17, 2021 Victorian Plumbing will float on the alternative investment market (AIM) later this month, in a move expected to give the online retailer of bathroom products and accessories a value of £850m. The placing of new shares is expected to raise gross proceeds of £11.6m for the company, while the placing of sale shares is expected [...]