Unilever may abandon HQ unification over €11bn Dutch tax bill August 10, 2020 Unilever has said it may scrap plans to unify its London and Dutch headquarters, if parliament in the Netherlands passes a law which would demand an €11bn exit tax over the deal. The legislation, which was proposed by the opposition Green Left political party, is currently being assessed by the Netherlands’ Council of State as [...]
Public Health England becomes UK’s biggest advertiser during lockdown August 4, 2020 Advertising spend in the UK almost halved during lockdown according to the latest figures, with Public Health England becoming the nation’s biggest advertiser over the course of the pandemic. Traditional advertising spend — including on TV, newspapers, radio, cinema and billboards — fell more than £1.1bn year on year between the start of lockdown and the [...]
Facebook and Instagram remove Wiley’s accounts after grime star’s antisemitic rant July 28, 2020 Facebook said it has decided to fully delete the accounts of British grime musician Wiley from both Facebook and Instagram, after he was placed on a temporary ban from the platforms. The self-styled godfather of grime, whose real name is Richard Cowie, is being investigated by police after posting a series of antisemitic tweets over [...]
FTSE 100 rises but US markets fall as jobless claims grow July 23, 2020 The FTSE 100 clung on to its gains but US markets fell as investors weighed rising American joblessness against the prospect of more economic stimulus. London’s main stock index was 0.2 per cent higher in afternoon trading at 6.218 points. The FTSE 250 was up 0.1 per cent. Read more: Unilever beats sales forecasts as [...]
Johnson Matthey banks on second half after sales drop July 23, 2020 Catalytic converter maker Johnson Matthey said that its first half performance had been “materially below” last year’s due to the coronavirus pandemic. The FTSE 100 firm said that a fall in sales in its clean air division as a result of lower demand and temporary shutdowns was the main cause of the decline. In a [...]
Unilever beats sales forecasts as it retains India tea arm July 23, 2020 Unilever beat analyst expectations of a drop in sales in its latest half-year results, it revealed today, as home and food sales offset declines elsewhere, it said today. The consumer goods behemoth beat analyst expectations of a 4.3 per cent drop in underlying sales, posting just a 0.3 per cent decline for the second quarter. [...]
Facebook and Instagram to examine algorithm in racial bias investigation July 22, 2020 Facebook has said it is establishing two new groups to assess whether its policies and algorithms are racially biased, following a major advertising boycott against the social media giant. Facebook will set up an Inclusive Product Council, with a similar Equity Team at its sister app Instagram, to explore whether there are “potential biases” across [...]
The Boohoo scandal shouldn’t shock anyone — modern slavery is a pandemic July 21, 2020 No brand today should be “shocked and appalled” at what happens in its own supply chain, as fast fashion brand Boohoo recently claimed to be. To know so little about the sourcing, processes and practices involved in creating a product you sell should be a crime itself. Tales of UK-based sweat shops and modern slavery [...]
Revolut backer Balderton sinks £8m into detergent startup Smol July 21, 2020 Detergent delivery startup Smol has today closed an £8m funding round, led by London venture capital giant Balderton. The funding was supported by Jamjar Investments, the venture capital firm co-founded by the founder of Innocent Drinks. Launched in 2018 by former Unilever employees Paula Quazi and Nick Green, Smol delivers laundry and dishwasher detergent in [...]
Shakespeare: Green tea push leaves PG Tips looking more sustainable July 15, 2020 At the end of 2019 single-use plastic reduction and sustainable packaging was high on the agenda of most businesses. Unfortunately, many sustainable packaging and refill schemes have been paused for reassessment as the coronavirus pandemic makes hygiene more important than ever. However, one brand which has pushed ahead with its sustainable product launch is Unilever’s [...]