Ocado sales up 25pc March 4, 2011 Online grocer Ocado posted a 25 per cent rise in first-quarter sales and said it remained profitable, despite a challenging economic backdrop which has hit many retailers hard. The group, which mostly sells the products of grocer Waitrose, said it made gross sales of £146.2m in the 12 weeks to 20 February, in line with [...]
Ocado lifted by upgrade March 1, 2011 OCADO shares were boosted yesterday after broker Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the shares. The stock has fallen by almost a quarter since 11 February, when Goldman – Ocado’s house broker – placed ten per cent of the company’s shares at 265p each. Goldman raised its rating on the online delivery company from “hold” [...]
Supermarket sales slowing as shoppers rein in spending March 1, 2011 SALES growth at grocers slowed in February, despite higher prices, according to market research published yesterday, adding to signs of growing caution among consumers since the start of the year. Kantar Worldpanel said grocery sales rose 3.9 per cent year-on-year in the 12 weeks to 20 February, down from 4.2 per cent growth for the [...]
Ocado hit by boss share sale February 21, 2011 OCADO shares took a tumble yesterday after chief executive Tim Steiner sold £5m worth of Ocado stock. Steiner’s move – plus the announcement that Waitrose was planning to revamp its own online delivery service – saw the stock close down 7.75 per cent at 239p. Waitrose, which has a ten-year contract with Ocado to supply the [...]
Hedgie makes big Ocado loss February 20, 2011 ONLINE grocer Ocado’s recent growth has stung a US hedge fund, which has reportedly lost up to £40m by shorting Ocado stock after the firm’s rocky flotation in July. Elinor Carter Brooks from New York-based Blue Ridge Capital is thought to have bet against the shares when they had already dropped to near all-time lows [...]
John Lewis sales stall again February 18, 2011 John Lewis JLP.UL posted a fourth consecutive week of lacklustre sales, adding to evidence consumers are cutting back on spending in the face of macro economic headwinds. The employee-owned group, which has been outperforming the broader retail sector for over a year, said on Friday sales at its department stores increased 1.4 per cent to [...]
Style, charm and quiet in Marylebone February 17, 2011 THE idea of owning a luxurious home in central London is the sort of thing lots of upwardly-mobile urbanites aspired to. But given the chance, where and what do you go for? One of central London’s primary characteristics is the sheer range of localities, architectures and atmospheres all crammed into it. Grand apartment in Knightsbridge? [...]
Waitrose opens overseas February 13, 2011 WAITROSE is set to open one of five shops in the Channel Islands this week, in its first owner-operated venture outside the UK. The Thursday opening of its 21,000 square foot shop in St Saviour, Jersey, comes just a week after the retailer opened its first shop in Bahrain. However, unlike Bahrain, which is operated [...]
Ocado shares fall after John Lewis pension fund sells out February 11, 2011 Retailer John Lewis’s pension trust has sold its stake of about 10 per cent in online grocer Ocado – sending its shares down 17 per cent. Ocado, whose shares have climbed sharply in recent weeks, said the sale would not affect its commercial relations with upmarket grocer Waitrose, a John Lewis unit. Ocado mainly sells [...]
John Lewis warns over tough trading as sales fall February 4, 2011 John Lewis reported a second consecutive fall in weekly sales at its department stores and warned of tougher trading ahead as shoppers face higher prices, taxes and public spending cuts. However, the employee-owned group, which has long outperformed the broader retail sector, said on Friday it was still budgeting for growth for the year to [...]