John Lewis sees a further sales jump February 26, 2010 JOHN lewis and Waitrose have reported further rises in weekly sales – fuelling hopes of a high street recovery. The department store’s overall sales were up 15.1 per cent year-on-year. Sales at the group’s supermarket rose 13.7 per cent. John Lewis’s stores in Oxford Street, Bluewater and Kingston were among the leading lights in the [...]
Starbucks bags motorway deal February 24, 2010 Starbucks has sealed a deal to open 29 new outlets at Welcome Break motorway service stations. Welcome Break will spend up to £10m on re-branding Coffee Primo shops. Oxford Services on the M40 and Hopwood Park on the M42 will open before Easter with the rest due to be in business within the next 16 [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS February 22, 2010 CALLING ALL FRUIT BEER LOVERS Fruit beer lovers who shop at Waitrose rejoice: a delicious new one from Liefmans has been added to the range. Based on Liefmans Cuvee Brut, a famous brown beer brewed just once a year and left to mature for 18 months on fresh, whole cherries, this beer is then blended [...]
Ocado denies problem with upcoming IPO February 15, 2010 ONLINE groceries firm Ocado hit back last night at reports its £1.2bn initial public offering (IPO) was under threat. The shadow of doubt was cast after reports emerged Waitrose is planning to launch a rival delivery service in central London. But Ocado chief financial officer Andrew Bracey told City A.M. the firms are not in [...]
John Lewis starts the year on a high February 12, 2010 JOHN Lewis has reported one of its healthiest starts to a financial year. Total sales in the first week of February were up 32 per cent. Fashion, including lingerie snapped up for Valentine’s Day – led sales gains by rising 47 per cent as new season ranges came into stores. John Lewis’s flagship store in [...]
MILLION-DOLLAR MAN THAIN LEARNS ERROR OF HIS PRICEY OFFICE WAYS February 8, 2010 HAPPY days for John Thain, the former Merrill Lynch chief executive who demonstrated yesterday that not only has he managed to stage an impressive comeback on Wall Street, but has actually learnt a lesson on the way as well. Thain, of course, is best remembered among the financial community for the dual distinctions of having [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS February 8, 2010 KOCHHAR LAUNCHES NEW COLONY Busy times for Atul Kochhar, the celebrated chef in charge of the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, Benares. Having just re-opened that venue following a fire and extensive refurb, he’s now overseeing the launch of Colony Bar & Grill, a restaurant inspired by the days of the British Raj that opens next week. [...]
Ocado bullish about spring public listing February 7, 2010 ONLINE grocer Ocado will launch an audacious IPO in May which could value the company at £1.2bn. The firm, which delivers Waitrose food to doorsteps, hopes to raise an initial £160m from the flotation. This will wipe out its £55m debts and provide it with £100m to build a new distribution centre. A source close [...]
Waitrose sales jump by 15 per cent February 5, 2010 WAITROSE sales jumped by 15 per cent in the second half of last year. The figures mean Waitrose is fastest growing supermarket chain in Britain and come as Ocado – the online grocer that delivers Waitrose products – set a new record for the number of deliveries in a single day, of 17,500. New M&S [...]
Flight to quality in stores February 2, 2010 Intense competition among Britain’s top grocers has hit sales growth at smaller hard discounters Aldi and Lidl, while Asda has suffered most from recent severe weather, market researchers said yesterday. Kantar Worldpanel, the new name for TNS Worldpanel, said sales at Britain’s grocers rose 5.2 per cent in the 12 weeks to 24 January, helped [...]