SFO under fire for ‘huge mistakes’ and wasting millions of taxpayers’ cash in 10-year probe of G4S March 10, 2023 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has come under fire for wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and making “huge mistakes” in its 10-year investigation into G4S’s electronic tagging arm as charges against three former executives were dropped. In September 2020, former managing director Richard Morris, former commercial director Mark Preston and former finance manager [...]
Tesco on hunt for a ‘heavyweight’ boardroom figure as it swoops to replace John Allan March 9, 2023 Tesco is understood to have approached a number of “heavyweight” boardroom figures, to scope out their interests in replacing outspoken chairman John Allan. According to reports in Sky News, the FTSE 100 supermarket is working with headhunters to find a replacement for the leader who is set to leave the grocer in 2024. Allan, has [...]
Costa Coffee hikes staff pay as cost of living crisis prompts chain to raise wages for third time in 12 months March 6, 2023 Costa Coffee became the latest coffee chain to give its staff a pay rise, as employers seek to retain employees who are battling a cost of living crisis. Beginning in April, some 16,000 baristas at the high street coffee chain will see wages increase from £10 per hour to £10.70 per hour. The rise is [...]
Salad Days: A run on grow bags and why Harry and Charlotte could help Brits see off food shortage, says RHS March 2, 2023 A shortage of fruit and vegetables in particular tomatoes, cucumber peppers and lettuce, is believed to be behind an increased interest in gardening. Brits have been being advised to avoid salads for the next “few weeks” as supermarkets have kept restrictions in place on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said [...]
Food shortage: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Lidl and Morrisons warn salad will not be on the menu for ‘a few weeks’ March 1, 2023 Brits are being advised to avoid salads for the next “few weeks” as supermarkets have kept restrictions in place on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Reports of adverse weather conditions in the Mediterranean has forced Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Lidl into restricting the sale of produce. This comes after social media users took to [...]
Begbies Traynor boosted by collapse of Paperchase and host of insolvencies February 27, 2023 Restructuring specialist Begbies Traynor Group says its finances have been boosted by the collapse of Paperchase earlier this year. Begbies Traynor was appointed as administrator after the struggling stationery chain failed to secure any buyers. The retailer’s 106 branches could face closure after Tesco agreed to buy the brand but not its stores or workforce. [...]
Fruit and veg shortage will get worse before it gets better, warn farmers February 25, 2023 The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned that shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could be “the tip of the iceberg”. NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said a reliance on imports has left the UK vulnerable to “shock weather events”. Soaring energy bills exacerbated by the war in Ukraine have also put [...]
Growers warn leek supply will be exhausted by April as Therese Coffey tells Brits to eat turnips February 24, 2023 Growers are warning of a leek shortage that will see British-grown supplies exhausted by April. High temperatures and a lack of rain, followed by a period of cold weather, are being blamed for creating the “most difficult season ever”. Supermarkets are already limiting the sale of tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables because of a [...]
Co-op front runner in race to buy Sainsbury’s Bank’s £650m loan book, according to reports February 21, 2023 The Co-operative Bank has tabled an offer for Sainsbury’s Bank’s £650m loan portfolio being, according to reports by Sky News. The Co-operative bank is among a number of parties understood to have tabled a bid for the supermarket bank’s loan book . An insider cited by Sky News said the Co-operative “appeared to be the [...]
Tesco raises store workers pay by 7 per cent February 20, 2023 Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, will raise hourly pay for about 220,000 store workers by 7 per cent from April – another increase that will likely catch the attention of the Bank of England, which is worried about inflationary pressure in the economy. The supermarket group, one of the country’s largest private sector employers, said a [...]