Ocado pumps £17m into vertical farming joint venture June 10, 2019 Online grocer Ocado has invested £17m in the emerging vertical farming industry as it looks to bolster its technology offering. Vertical farming involves the production of food in indoor facilities, where crops are grown on a series of levels in a controlled environment. Read more: Ocado set to cut 400 jobs as it looks to [...]
Ofcom boss Sharon White chosen as next John Lewis chair June 6, 2019 Ofcom boss Sharon White is set to replace Sir Charlie Mayfield as the next chair of John Lewis, taking on the role as the retailer battles to recover from a recent plunge in profits and tough trading conditions on the high street. White, who is currently chief executive of the UK’s communications regulator, is set [...]
M&S braced for fresh decline in profits as store closures continue May 19, 2019 Marks & Spencer is set to report a sharp decline in profits for the full year as it looks to beef up its online offering amid a raft of store closures. The high street stalwart is expected to post pre-tax profits of roughly £520m in its full-year results of Wednesday, a fall of 10 per cent on [...]
Ocado set to cut 400 jobs as it looks to rebuild Andover warehouse after fire May 17, 2019 Ocado has said it will slash as many as 400 jobs after a huge fire destroyed its distribution centre in Andover. The delivery firm’s flagship automated warehouse in Hampshire was razed to the ground in February after a three-day inferno. Read more: Waitrose outlines £1bn online shopping plan Ocado initially tried to find a suitable [...]
Debate: As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? May 17, 2019 As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? YES – Sophie Lewis is chief strategy officer at marketing agency VMLY&R. If you’d asked me two years ago, my answer would have been in the negative, but we’ve reached a cultural tipping point when it comes to both vegetarians [...]
Waitrose sets out £1bn online shopping plan as it prepares for life without Ocado May 16, 2019 Waitrose has revealed a £1bn plan to bolster its online operations today as it prepares for life without Ocado. The upmarket grocer has signed a deal with Today Development Partners (TDP) in a bid to treble the size of its online business over the next three years, as its 20-year relationship with delivery giant Ocado nears its [...]
Botanical drinks startup with top City backers set for crowdfunding May 14, 2019 A botanical drinks startup which counts high-profile City veterans and celebrities among its backers is set to launch a £1m crowdfunding in its latest expansion drive. David Spencer-Percival, the serial entrepreneur who runs No.1 Rosemary Water, told City A.M. he is looking to lure in fresh capital amid a global product drive and the launch of [...]
Easter bounce for the high street while shopping centres struggle April 22, 2019 Embattled retailers received a much-needed Easter boon over the Bank holiday weekend, as sunshine and hot weather encouraged shoppers onto the high street. Read more: Eco-activists plot Heathrow shutdown on Good Friday In a clear contrast to Easter 2018, when stormy weather dashed hopes of a Spring bounce in footfall, this year high street retailers [...]
Waitrose removes ‘ugly’ Easter chocolate duckling from shelves after complaints of racism April 9, 2019 Waitrose has been forced to apologise and temporarily remove a trio of chocolate ducklings from its shelves, after customers complained about the darkest one being called “Ugly”. One customer tweeted to say it “doesn’t look good at all. Thousands of other options… why ugly?????” Read more: Telegraph hires Waitrose editor who resigned after vegan row [...]
Independent cafe chain loses £250,000 from disposable cup ban April 2, 2019 Bristol-based cafe chain Boston Tea Party (BTP) lost £250,000 in takeaway coffee sales after it banned disposable cups from its stores, the company confirmed today. The cafe made headlines last June when it banned single use coffee cups in its 21 branches in England, thought to be a first for a UK chain. Read more: The rubbish [...]