Marmitegate is the “thin end of the wedge” for the retail industry October 14, 2016 Tesco and Unilever's public price war is the "thin edge of the wedge" for the retail sector after the Brexit vote, analysts have said, as the prospect of higher import costs and job losses weigh on the industry. Unilever has used the fall of sterling after the Brexit vote as a basis for increasing its prices for [...]
Was the Marmite-gate row with Tesco over post-Brexit price hikes a PR disaster for Unilever? October 13, 2016 Arlo Brady, managing partner of the Brewery at Freuds, says Yes. This has been an uncomfortable few days for Unilever. A company that rightly prides itself as a world leader in corporate reputation has found itself in a bitter deadlock with the British public, withholding supplies of Marmite from the nation’s breakfast tables as it battles [...]
Tesco and Unilever strike deal over Marmite price war October 13, 2016 It's over. After a day which divided a nation and saw (some) Britons head to their nearest supermarket to stock up on our favourite yeast-based love-it-or-hate-it spread, two of the biggest names in British retail laid down arms. Marmite-owner Unilever said this evening: Unilever is pleased to confirm that the supply situation with Tesco in the [...]
A government commissioned report unveils a series wide-ranging ideas for shaking-up the state pension October 13, 2016 The state pension age could be set to rise further after the former director-general of the Confederation of British Industry issued his provisional findings to the government. John Cridland today issued an interim report on the state pension age and although it fell short of making specific recommendations, the report gave a steer to the department for work and pensions (DWP) [...]
Picks of the day: The three stories to read today October 13, 2016 It feels like the day is dragging, and you're probably running out of things to talk about with your colleagues, but there’s no need to fret. We’ve put together the most interesting stories people are talking about today in bite-sized form, just to make your life that bit easier. ‘Delay Repay 15’ Here’s some good [...]
Will the pound’s weakness continue to drive the FTSE 100? October 13, 2016 The relationship between the weak pound and a strong stock market is showing signs of fraying, analysts pointed out today, as the FTSE 100 dives even as the pound remains under pressure. Sterling has been through the ringer this week, swinging up and down on the slightest whisper of Brexit news, although today's trading has been slightly calmer, with [...]
Business profits set to stumble in wake of EU referendum October 13, 2016 Corporate profitability held up in the three months before the EU referendum, new statistics have revealed, as companies showed little sign uncertainty was weighing on their ability to generate cash. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said this morning profitability of private sector non-financial corporations, as measured by their net rate of return was 12.2 per [...]
FTSE 100 drops below 7,000 as Unilever and Tesco share prices fall after Marmite row October 13, 2016 The FTSE 100 has fallen further from its record high as markets digest some shock weak trade figures from China and the US Federal Reserve looks on course to hike interest rates. The bluechip index tumbled below 7,000 points to stand down for the week after reaching a record intraday high of 7,129 on Monday. Miners, [...]
Shock, horror, Bovril: Here’s how Twitter has reacted to Marmitegate October 13, 2016 A nation is in shock after Tesco said it is locked in a battle with Unilever over a potential 10 per cent price hike. As it stands, Tesco has admitted it may start to run out of Unilever's brands, which include Dove and Persil. And experts have warned this may not be the last threatened shortage of household staples in [...]
How low can it go? Sterling falls against the dollar and the euro again October 13, 2016 If anyone thought yesterday's rise in sterling was anything more than a fluke, today convinced them otherwise: the pound fell against both the dollar and the euro in early trading. Sterling stayed firmly below $1.22 in early trading, falling 0.3 per cent against the dollar to $1.269 – and after briefly edging closer to €1.11 [...]