Morrisons back on the offensive: Has the retailer put its darkest days behind it? June 8, 2015 David Potts wasted no time in stamping his mark on Morrisons when he took the helm of the retailer in March. After years of haemorrhaging sales, the ailing supermarket was in urgent need of a turnaround. And for the 58 year-old retail evangelist, that meant not only making sweeping changes at the top – including [...]
City Moves for 9 June 2015 | Who’s switching jobs June 8, 2015 Deloitte Jonathan Gray has been appointed partner in the business advisory firm’s London-based financial services consultancy practice. A fintech expert, he has over 20 years’ experience working across retail banking, wealth management, credit cards and insurance. Tilney Bestinvest The investment and financial planning group has appointed Stuart Layzell as chief financial officer. He began his [...]
Morrisons cuts prices on 200 items as boss David Potts swings the axe in supermarket price wars June 8, 2015 Morrisons is the latest supermarket to swing the axe in the ongoing price wars, with price cuts on hundreds of products. David Potts, the former Tesco executive who replaced Dalton Phillips at the top, has made his first move in the battle of the supermarkets as it tries to compete with discounters and its big [...]
US buyout firm enters race for £2bn Tesco arm June 7, 2015 ANOTHER company has joined the clamour for a slice of Tesco’s data business which was behind the supermarket’s hugely successful Clubcard loyalty scheme. Hellman & Friedman, the US private equity firm, is the latest bidder said to be interested in Dunnhumby, joining a crowded line-up of potential buyers willing to splash out as much as [...]
Farmfoods sees surge in annual sales and profit June 7, 2015 FROZEN food discounter Farmfoods has reported a surge in annual sales and profits as Britons increasingly searching for ways to cut spending on their weekly grocery shop. The supermarket, which is owned by the publicity shy Herd family, said pre-tax profits jumped by 38 per cent to £20.8m in 2014 compared with £15.1m the previous [...]
Retail sales on way up as trade deficit narrows – London Report June 7, 2015 DATA out this week might just provide some reasons to be cheerful, with retail sales numbers expected to show healthy growth during May. The British Retail Consortium sales monitor is expected to show strong year-on-year retail sales growth in May in data out tomorrow. According to Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight, this would “fuel [...]
Tesco’s Dunnhumby has another suitor as Hellman & Friedman join WPP, Nielsen and several private equity firms June 7, 2015 Yet another company has joined the clamor for a slice of Tesco's data business which was behind the supermarket's hugely successful Clubcard loyalty scheme. Hellman & Friedman, the US private equity firm, is the latest bidder said to be interested in Dunnhumby, joining a crowded line-up of potential buyers willing to splash out as much as [...]
Halfords pedals to £1bn revenue after cycle boom June 5, 2015 HALFORDS recorded revenue in excess of £1bn in the year to the end of March thanks to strong sales in both its car and cycle businesses, sending shares higher in trading yesterday. The retailer posted an 11.4 per cent rise in full-year profit to £84.1m on an 6.8 per cent rise in revenue to £1.004bn. [...]
Tesco: What assets has it sold off and what’s heading to the checkout as billion-pound South Korea sale considered? June 5, 2015 Streamlining, belt tightening, slimming down: call it what you will, but Tesco assets are making their way through the checkout at a swift pace, as the troubled supermarket attempts to raise funds for its turnaround. The latest item heading for the bagging area after reporting its biggest ever loss, is part of its large and [...]
Morrisons is the only big four grocer “currently on right track”, says Nielsen June 5, 2015 Morrisons waits for good news for months and then three come along at once. The supermarket – which has, until now, been one of the more unloved – has already had one set of figures prove it's the only one of the big four in growth, which in turn prompted a share price rally, [...]