Aldi knocks Waitrose off its spot as UK’s sixth biggest supermarket April 8, 2015 Aldi has overtaken Waitrose to become the UK's sixth biggest supermarket. The budget supermarket, which has recorded double-digit sales growth for the past four years, now has 5.3 per cent of the country's spend on groceries, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Waitrose is still in growth – in fact just one of three to see [...]
Zero inflation is the new normal: The world can’t evade its debts forever March 31, 2015 Zero inflation is trending. The consumer price index in the UK was at the same level in February as it was a year earlier. The reporting of this figure on the BBC website created some unintended amusement, however. The drop to zero, we were told, was “sharper than many analysts had expected”. And what was [...]
Five Morrisons execs leave as Potts swings axe March 24, 2015 Five members of Morrisons' management team are on the way out, after new boss David Potts swung his axe. Group customer marketing and digital director Nick Collard, group retail director Martyn Fletcher, group property and strategy director Gordon Mowat, group logistics director Neal Austin and convenience managing director Nigel Robertson are all leaving. "I will [...]
Surprise as UK inflation falls to zero for first time since current records began in 1989 March 24, 2015 Inflation fell to zero in February for the first time since current the current records began in 1989, moving Britain closer to deflation, official statistics showed today. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed prices didn't increase at all in February compared with the same time a year ago. The figure came [...]
Aldi aims to leave rivals in its wake by adding 60 new stores March 23, 2015 Discount retailer Aldi looks set to outpace the big four this year as it ramps up plans for further expansion by opening 60 new stores in the UK this year. While the chain opened its first UK outlet 25 years ago, it was not until the onset of the financial crisis – and the subsequent [...]
Sainsbury’s says fightback plan paying off March 17, 2015 SAINSBURY’S chief executive Mike Coupe said the supermarket chain was seeing “some signs of recovery” after launching a £150m fightback plan last year, despite underlying sales falling for the fifth quarter in a row. Like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, fell by 1.9 per cent in the 10 weeks to 14 March, its final quarter, with sales [...]
FTSE rises ahead of Osborne’s pre-poll Budget – London Report March 17, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday to extend a recent rebound from last week’s lows, with gains coming in ahead of key policy announcements from the UK and the US. The FTSE 100 rose 0.5 per cent to 6,837.61 points, as shares of natural-resources producers ticked up and utilities pushed higher, led by a [...]
Sainsbury’s share price dips despite sales falling less than expected March 17, 2015 The figures Shares in Sainsbury's were trading down 1.1 per cent at 265 pence per share in late-afternoon trade today. They had initially opened more than two per cent higher this morning. The supermarket announced like-for-like retail sales including fuel fell 3.9 per cent in the 10 weeks to 14 March on price deflation and greater [...]
Sir Philip Green sold BHS for £1 – but can the high street stalwart be salvaged? March 16, 2015 It’s a rare day when retail mogul and the official patron saint of lost causes Sir Philip Green decides to throw in the towel. The tycoon’s decision last week to back out of BHS after 15 years of ownership and offload it to a previously unknown group of investors for £1 set the City’s retail [...]
Wetherspoons profits drop: Pub chain looks for new weapons in push against supermarket price war March 13, 2015 JD Wetherspoon could be a victim of the supermarket price war. To fight the discounters, the pub chain offers competitive prices for breakfasts and Lavazza coffees – of which it has already sells 50m cups a year- between certain hours. It also sells 24m breakfasts a year and hopes to triple the sales of both [...]