City Moves for 18 July – who’s switching jobs at Foundry, Callsign and Saga? July 18, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes Foundry, Callsign and Saga. Foundry Foundry, which develops creative software for the digital design, media and entertainment industries, has appointed Jody Madden as chief executive officer (CEO). She joined Foundry in 2013 and has held positions as chief operating officer and most recently, chief customer officer and chief product officer. Prior [...]
Kicking up a fizz: Aldi champagne advert banned after Tesco complaint July 17, 2019 The advertising watchdog has banned an advert promoting Aldi’s own-brand champagne after Tesco complained it was misleading. Read more: TfL revises junk food ad ban after rules spark confusion In the advert, the German discount supermarket claimed customers could save 45 per cent on a selection of products when compared to rival Tesco. The products [...]
Travis Perkins accelerates plans to sell Wickes July 14, 2019 Builders merchant Travis Perkins has stepped up its plans for a £500m spin-off of DIY retailer Wickes. Travis Perkins has begun to prepare to demerge Wickes next year by separating the retailer’s IT systems from the rest of the group, the Sunday Times reported. Read more: Travis Perkins investors cheer first quarter sales growth The [...]
ii view: Sales retreat at Sainsbury’s July 8, 2019 By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Tough comparatives have impacted results for this supermarket, but that is no surprise. First quarter trading for 16 weeks to 29 June 2019 Total sales down 1.2 per cent (excluding fuel) Like-for-like sales declined 1.6 per cent (excluding fuel) Grocery sales fell 0.5 per cent General merchandise sales down 3.1 per cent [...]
Mike Coupe is yet to convince the City that he has a Plan B for Sainsbury’s July 3, 2019 It has been several months since the Mike Coupe dream of a merger with Asda was dealt a lethal blow from Britain’s competition watchdog. But how much has the embattled chief executive changed his tune? Not enough, it would seem, to quell anxiety among investors. Shares in the supermarket giant failed to pick up today [...]
What’s gone wrong at Sainsbury’s? Three problems the supermarket must address July 3, 2019 It has been several months now since the Mike Coupe’s dreams of a merger with Asda were dealt a lethal blow from Britain’s competition watchdog, but how much has changed? Directors at the supermarket chain have been setting out a plan to cut costs, slash debt and refurbish 400 stores. Yet investors will likely have [...]
Sainsbury’s cuts market share decline as Aldi and Lidl soar June 25, 2019 Sainsbury’s has cut short the decline in its market share as discount rivals Aldi and Lidl continue to boost sales. Customer spend at Sainsbury’s dipped 0.6 per cent in the three months to 16 June, an improvement on the 1.2 per cent decline in the previous period following its failed merger with Asda. Read more: [...]
Is honesty the best policy? Why brands should be open about their weaknesses June 24, 2019 Marketing can be complex, with so many sophisticated models, fancy processes, long words, plus various funnels, pyramids, and flow diagrams to help make people look clever. And the growing importance of data has added complexity to the way in which we plan the strategies behind advertising campaigns. But as the legendary ad man Bill Bernbach [...]
Dunelm raises profit forecast after weather helps boost sales June 20, 2019 Furniture firm Dunelm has raised expectations for the year after strong sales growth in recent months driven by poor weather. The company said unseasonably favourable weather had boosted like-for-like growth in May and June as it continued to defy the UK’s gloomy retail sector. Shares in Dunelm climbed more than five per cent as the [...]
Tesco shares: Reasons to be cheerful June 18, 2019 Early selling following this Q1 update attracted bargain hunters. Our head of markets explains why. Tesco (LSE:TSCO) recovery from the dark days of having taken its eye off the ball in the UK continues apace. The radical overhaul which the business has undergone has seen Tesco’s shares rise by 50% over the last three years. More [...]