Tesco to pay back £585m in emergency support with pandemic risks ‘behind us’ December 2, 2020 Tesco this morning said that it would pay back £585m of business rates relief it received to protect it from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The supermarket said that paying back the emergency funding was “the right thing to do”, adding that some of the risks from the pandemic were now behind it. In [...]
There’s a new type of leader in town: Agile, decisive, and interested in more than their own voice November 27, 2020 The turbulence of 2020 has provided a new lens through which to look at our leaders, prompting a rethink of what leadership should look like in the Covid era and beyond. Over the past nine months, leaders have had to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, sweeping technological changes, worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, and of course [...]
AO World swings to profit as working from home boosts revenue more than 50 per cent November 24, 2020 Online electricals retailer AO World swung to profit in the six months to September, as a surge in domestic appliance sales during the pandemic helped revenue rocket more than 50 per cent. The company, which sells washing machines, fridges, TVs and laptops, said sales in the six months to 30 September jumped 53.2 per cent [...]
The good, the bad, and the orange: In search of the perfect 2020 Christmas ad November 24, 2020 To call 2020 a “garbage fire” of a year would not be unfair. This year has turned people’s worlds upside-down in so many ways. But at least a few things remain a constant presence in life — one of which is the return of the blockbuster Christmas TV advert. While the advertising budgets look a [...]
Chemistry won the vaccine battle, but logistics will win the Covid war November 20, 2020 We are in a global war with Covid-19. And as military wisdom has it, wars aren’t won with the best tactics but the best logistics. Media coverage around the two initial vaccines — from Pfizer and Moderna — has concentrated on their relative levels of effectiveness and the number of jabs on order. But positive [...]
Game over: Major retailer websites crash amid PS5 release frenzy November 19, 2020 The websites of major retailers including Amazon, John Lewis and Currys crashed this morning after frenzied gamers rushed to get their hands on the new PS5. Shoppers hoping to get their hands on the latest console also ran into problems on the Tesco and Game websites, as retailers were overwhelmed by demand. Amazon released its [...]
Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury’s face allegations of worker exploitation in India November 17, 2020 UK retailers including Marks & Spencer (M&S), Tesco and Sainsbury’s are facing calls to apologise following allegations of worker exploitation in their supply chains. Supermarket supplier workers in India reportedly said they do not get toilet breaks or sufficient breaks to drink water or eat lunch. One member of staff told the BBC they were [...]
Tesco apologises to customers over Christmas delivery booking delays November 13, 2020 Tesco has been forced to apologise to customers facing delays trying to book a delivery slot for Christmas shopping following a surge in demand. The supermarket said this morning that it had placed shoppers in a “virtual waiting room” to help it manage the influx of customers trying to secure a home delivery for the [...]
Waitrose pledges to keep meat and fish counters open as rivals shutter services November 11, 2020 Waitrose has this morning pledged to keep its meat, fish and deli counters open, taking on the supermarkets that have shuttered the services to cut costs amid falling demand. The up-market grocer said it is committed to the long-term future of its food service counters, and is planning to expand its meat and fish range [...]
Christmas shoppers flock to toy shops ahead of second Covid-19 lockdown November 10, 2020 Toy and entertainment retailers reported a surge in shopper numbers in the days leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as Brits snapped up Christmas presents ahead of the closure of non-essential stores. The latest analysis showed that toy stores more than doubled their share of pre-pandemic footfall between Monday and Wednesday last week. But one [...]