Tesco, M&S and John Lewis among UK retail giants to threaten Brazil boycott over Amazon deforestation May 5, 2021 UK retail giants including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis have threatened to boycott Brazillian agricultural commodities over the deforestation of the Amazon. In an open letter published today the retailers said they will take action if Brazil’s government passes a law expanding property rights for squatters on public land. Campaigners have warned that [...]
Starbucks on hiring spree for 400 new jobs across UK as demand revives May 3, 2021 High Street giant Starbucks has launched a hiring spree for 400 roles as the coffee chain has been buoyed by the easing of pandemic restrictions. Positions will be available across almost 200 sites including city-centre, suburban high street and drive-thru locations as it builds its workforce to deal with higher demand. Starbucks, which currently employs [...]
Ex-CEO of Coca-Cola EU and founder of Café Rouge join Deliveroo’s board April 28, 2021 Deliveroo has confirmed a board shuffle today by hiring two new non-executive directors, to help keep up with its growing partnerships. Dominique Reiniche and Karen Jones are set to join the board, just as the company is to ramp up its online delivery capabilities with Waitrose. “They join at an important time for Deliveroo as [...]
Waitrose expands Deliveroo partnership to 150 stores, creating 400 jobs April 27, 2021 Waitrose has expanded its partnership with Deliveroo as it aims to ramps up its online delivery capabilities, in a move that will create up to 400 new jobs. The supermarket announced this morning that it will increase the number of Waitrose shops available on the delivery app from 40 to 150, serving around 13m people. [...]
Drinking around the world: Romanian wines to die for April 20, 2021 My introduction to Romanian wine was inauspicious. It came in one of Count Dracula’s tourist castle hotels in Transylvania. We sat around a coffin-shaped table as a black-suited waiter approached and smiled, revealing not particularly threatening canines. As he brandished the wine list he said, “May I have the pleasure of providing sir with a [...]
City Moves: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? April 14, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. John Lewis hires ex-Experian lead John Lewis has appointed a new director of financial services in London this week, who will step into the new role on 14 June. Amir Goshtai, who joins [...]
Government to offer free home Covid tests for businesses in back to work push March 28, 2021 The government is set to offer businesses free home test kits for employees, in a bid to get staff back to the workplace after almost a year of home working. In a major expansion of the government’s workplace testing scheme, all businesses with more than 10 employees who cannot offer on-site testing will be eligible [...]
John Lewis to permanently close eight stores, putting 1,465 jobs at risk March 24, 2021 John Lewis has announced it will not reopen eight stores after lockdown restrictions are eased, putting almost 1,500 jobs at risk. The retailer said the four department stores and four “At Home” branches are in locations that “can’t sustain a large store”, and will be permanently closed. It will enter into consultation with the 1,465 [...]
Ocado CEO Tim Steiner: M&S products are more popular than Waitrose March 18, 2021 Ocado’s M&S products are favoured over the former Waitrose partnership products with customers, as the company enjoys a doubling of new registrations, the company’s chief executive said this morning. “The M&S product is more popular with our customers than the Waitrose products were,” chief executive Tim Steiner said during an investor call earlier this morning. [...]
Dija acquires Genie in bid to expand 10-minute delivery service March 17, 2021 London-based grocery delivery startup Dija has acquired Cambridge startup Genie as it expands its service across the UK. Dija, which was founded by former Deliveroo executives, launched earlier this month and promises to deliver groceries within 10 minutes. It is the latest player to join the ever-expanding food delivery space and already has four warehouse [...]