Double digit trading rise at John Lewis November 26, 2010 UPMARKET retailer John Lewis has reported strong trading figures over the past week after festive shoppers turned out to spend on Christmas. The department store chain took £88m in the week ending Saturday 20 November was up 11.5 per cent on the same period in 2009 and 29 per cent higher than 2008, the company [...]
Delia fattens Waitrose with cake November 22, 2010 Waitrose grocery sales rose four per cent in the 12 weeks to October 31 – lifted by swift sales of Delia Smith’s ready-to-make Christmas cake kit. The UK cook has in the past caused a run on ingredients like eggs, stout and goose fat, after championing them in her recipes. Earlier this year Waitrose ran [...]
Asda sales up as it creates 7,500 UK jobs November 16, 2010 ASDA, owned by Wal-Mart, yesterday reported a return to underlying sales growth in its fiscal third quarter, helped by a focus on low prices and the relaunch of its core own-brand grocery range. The country’s second-biggest supermarket chain behind Tesco also said yesterday it would create more than 7,500 jobs next year by opening new [...]
Amazon tops customer poll November 16, 2010 Amazon has been voted the UK’s most customer friendly company in a poll. The online retailer beat 17O other national and international brands, with banking firm First Direct taking second spot and supermarket chain Waitrose third. The survey of 5,500 shoppers, carried out by research company Nunwood, showed that Nando’s was the most popular restaurant [...]
John Lewis is ranked among influential list November 14, 2010 RETAIL giant John Lewis has surged into a ranking of Britain’s most influential brands, as the group’s partnership approach to doing business and a record year for till receipts propelled it into the top three. TLG’s annual index of UK Business Thought Leaders ranks John Lewis below Apple and Google but above other respected names [...]
West End sees robust October high street sales November 14, 2010 SALES at London’s West End shops remained robust during October despite the details of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review acting to unnerve consumers. According to lobby group the New West End Company, which is backed by major retailers and property owners in Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, West End sales rose 7.7 per [...]
Waitrose sees sales rise November 11, 2010 Waitrose sales rose by nine per cent in the third quarter as the mild weather fuelled sales of unseasonal products including salad and ice cream. The retailer – which does not issue quarterly profit figures – said sales for the three months to the end of October had been buoyant. On a like-for-like basis its [...]
NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS CELEBRATE VERY BEST OF BRITISH November 9, 2010 “CELEBRATING” the Best of British was how Prime Minister David Cameron described the National Business Awards last night, speaking via a video link recorded before his trip to China this week. And a fine celebration the ceremony was too, honouring companies of all sectors and sizes across the UK economy, from niche tiddlers such as [...]
Alliance Boots predicts strong Xmas as acquisitions boost half year figures November 3, 2010 ALLIANCE Boots said it was expecting a Christmas trade boost from its new ranges while acquisitions had ensured solid half-year figures. The company’s same-store revenues for its health and beauty division grew by two per cent to £3.4bn, it reported yesterday. Revenues for the whole group rose by six per cent to £8.9bn. Finance director [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS October 25, 2010 BENARES’ DIWALI FEAST Mayfair’s favourite posh Indian restaurant is going to be celebrating Hindu festival Diwali in style with a special menu. Michelin-garnering chef Atul Kochhar’s menu, on offer throughout November, will two or three courses with paired wines, of which highlights include smoked lamb kebabs with pickled red cabbage; tandoor sea trout with marinated [...]