UK coronavirus: Brits don face masks (and Tesco bags) on public transport March 4, 2020 British commuters are taking the UK coronavirus threat seriously, it appears, donning heavy duty face masks – and Tesco bags – on Tube trains and buses. A man on a London Underground train appeared to decide to keep himself safe on his commute to work by donning a serious-looking gas mask, along with thick rubber [...]
Lidl crowned UK’s fastest growing supermarket March 3, 2020 Lidl was the fastest growing supermarket in the UK over the last 12 weeks, taking the crown from online grocer Ocado. The German discounter increased sales by 11.4 per cent in the 12 weeks to 24 February, becoming Britain’s fastest growing grocer for the first time since November 2017, as it opened its 800th store [...]
Hungary for UK growth March 2, 2020 Last Friday, after four years, I stepped down as the ambassador of Hungary to the Court of St. James’s. I arrived just days before the Brexit referendum — a referendum that, of course, shaped almost everything I did in the role here. It became apparent that the two priorities for me would be the representation [...]
From Russia with kefir: How Biotiful Dairy sold a new drink to the British public March 2, 2020 How do you convince the British public to try a whole new food category, especially when it doesn’t sound very appealing at first glance? That was the challenge facing the Russian-born entrepreneur Natasha Bowes when she decided to try to start selling kefir in the UK. Kefir is a type of fermented milk drink made [...]
More than 1,800 jobs at risk as Tesco restructures in-store bakeries February 25, 2020 More than 1,800 jobs are at risk after Tesco announced it will restructure its in-store bakery operations. The supermarket giant this afternoon said it will reduce the amount of baking “from scratch” across its stores, meaning some employees will be made redundant. From May, 58 branches will stop baking products on-site and will instead sell [...]
Financial Conduct Authority admits major data breach February 25, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has admitted that it revealed confidential consumer information on its website in a data breach last year. The City watchdog published details of roughly 1,600 people who filed complaints about it between January 2018 and July 2019. In some instances the information included names, addresses and telephone numbers. The FCA [...]
Tesco exits China with £275m stake sale February 25, 2020 Tesco has sold its 20 per cent share in its China joint venture for £275m as it nears a potential deal for its Thailand and Malaysia businesses. The supermarket giant announced this morning that it has offloaded its stake in Gain Land – which was established in 2014 – to a subsidiary of its joint [...]
Recruiter Cordant scrambles to raise cash after clash with lenders February 23, 2020 Cordant, one of the largest recruitment agencies in the UK is rushing to raise new cash after coming close to collapse following a row with its lenders. The company, whose clients include Lloyds, Amazon and Tesco, is racing to secure a deal with investors that would end the majority ownership of the Ullmann family, who [...]
Waitrose ranked best UK supermarket in annual Which survey February 22, 2020 Waitrose has been ranked as the best supermarket in the UK in an annual satisfaction survey conducted by Which. The chain, which is owned by John Lewis, hit five stars on most categories, but did come joint-last in value for money. Budget supermarkets Aldi and Lidl continue to be ranked highest in terms of value. [...]
Lidl to invest £1.3bn in UK store expansion February 20, 2020 Budget supermarket Lidl has announced it will invest £1.3bn in store expansion across the UK in the next two years. The German discounter – which has opened 50 new stores in the last 12 months – said this morning that it has committed to investing in growing its store portfolio in 2021 and 2020. The [...]