Sainsbury’s should focus on its core offer January 6, 2016 Sainsbury's and Home Retail Group do not at first glance appear obvious bedfellows. If perceptions count for anything, and they do in retail, then Sainsbury’s is very much a supermarket that attempts to cater for the British middle class. Home Retail Group’s Argos doesn’t. But for both the high street and supermarkets, these are desperate [...]
A bad start to the year for Sainsbury’s, Anglo American, Aberdeen Asset Management and Burberry, who top the list of most shorted shares of 2016 January 5, 2016 Sainsbury's yesterday revealed it had made an approach to takeover Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos and Homebase, in a bid to reverse its faltering fortunes. The report came as the extent of the Big Four supermarket’s woes were laid bare by new data revealing that its shares were the most shorted on the [...]
Retail therapy: British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s considers second bid for Argos owner Home Retail Group January 5, 2016 Sainsbury's is mulling over a second bid for Home Retail Group after it came clean yesterday about a £1bn unsolicited offer for the Argos and Homebase owner. The supermarket chain said it is “considering its position” after its initial cash and share bid in November was rejected by Home Retail’s board. Home Retail was also reportedly [...]
Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Asda and Sainsbury’s: What to expect from the supermarket sector’s Christmas results January 5, 2016 Supermarkets were going for broke this Christmas, after a poor year of trading for the likes of Tesco, Morrisons and Asda, with Sainsbury's the only one of the Big Four in growth in the run-up to the festive period. But with challengers Lidl and Aldi stealing market share from the price conscious, while Marks & Spencer and [...]
FTSE 100 index opens higher regaining some losses made yesterday on the back of miners and Tesco January 5, 2016 The FTSE 100 made a strong start as markets opened, regaining some of the 2.6 per cent it shed yesterday. The index rose 1.09 per cent to 6,158 points as trading began, led higher by miners and Tesco, while Aberdeen Asset Management and Next fell. Tesco led the pack, rising 4.26 per cent to 148.48p per share, [...]
UK pensions: Defined benefit pension schemes deficit edging downwards in private sector companies January 4, 2016 UK private companies have marginally narrowed the deficit they are running on their defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. Figures from JLT Employee Benefits show that, at 31 December 2015, funding for DB pensions in all UK private sector pension schemes stood at a £228bn deficit. By comparison, at 31 December 2014, the deficit was £248bn. [...]
Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons diesel prices lowered to 99.7p falling under £1 for first time since 2009 amid falling oil prices January 3, 2016 The price of diesel will fall below £1 for the first time since 2009 at all Big Four supermarkets as Tesco and Asda were first to announce the cost of filling up will cost less, bringing a new year gift to motorists across the country. Supermarkets will drop the price per litre to 99.7 pence from Monday, with both [...]
Amazon expands Pantry online supermarket as it lays out fresh challenge to UK’s Big Four supermarkets Asda, Tesco, Sainbury’s and Morrisons December 29, 2015 Amazon’s foray into the supermarket sector has quickly become a success, after the online retail giant announced plans to expand its new Pantry service in the UK next year. In other words, there's more disruption ahead for the UK’s troubled traditional supermarkets. The “Big Four” – Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – are struggling to keep up [...]
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and even Lidl supermarkets slash Christmas 2015 advertising spend December 22, 2015 Britain's beleaguered supermarkets have slashed the amount of cash they are spending on advertising over Christmas this year, with Tesco and Sainsbury's cutting budgets by as much as 30 per cent. Troubled Tesco made the biggest cuts to its festive advertising, spending almost £3m less in a four week run up to the big day compared to last [...]
Sir Ken Morrison has taken a £6m stake in rival Sainsbury’s December 21, 2015 The outspoken former chairman of Morrisons has taken a £6m stake in rival supermarket Sainsbury's. Sir Ken Morrison now owns 2.6m share in Sainsbury, while his son William owns 2.1m, giving the pair a combined £11.9m stake. The man who once told Morrisons' chief executive Dalton Phillips his strategy was "bulls***" has gone further than just implied support. [...]