Revealed: Amazon to open 260 supermarkets across UK as it plots to take on Tesco and Sainsbury’s directly internal documents leaked Amazon has developed detailed plans to storm the UK supermarket sector as the e-commerce is planning to open hundreds of cashierless grocery stores across the country in the next three years. More than 260 Amazon-owned and run supermarkets are to be launched before the end of 2024, namely 60 in 2022, another 100 per year [...]
Co-op chief: Brexit and Covid have caused the ‘worst food shortages I have ever seen’ The boss of one of the UK’s biggest retailers has warned that current food shortages are at a “worse level” than he has ever seen. Steve Murrells, chief executive of the Co-operative Group, said the retailer has significantly reduced its range of some products to help serve customers. He told the Times newspaper: “The shortages [...]
Co-op introduces support for staff affected by pregnancy loss Co-op introduces support for staff affected by pregnancy loss Co-op has introduced new measures to support its employees and their partners that have been affected by pregnancy loss. Created in partnership with the Miscarriage Association, the new dedicated pregnancy loss policy was designed to support employees affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, embryo transfer loss, molar pregnancy and termination of pregnancy for any reason. Co-op’s announcement [...]
Mitie: Covid and hybrid work prompted a makeover for cleaning tech – a mop and bucket won’t cut it May 26, 2021 The pandemic has given society the breathing space to redesign what a workplace should offer and in the age of the invisible virus, the humble mop and bucket won’t cut it. After a socially starved year, offices will likely become more collaborative and social in the future, adopting measures like ‘hot desking’. But these [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? May 19, 2021 City A.M.‘s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Ex Co-op CEO joins Boomin’s board Property site Boomin has bagged itself a retail veteran this week, who is set to join the board as a non-executive director at its next [...]
Co-op bank reports ‘resilient’ performance in first few months of 2021 April 28, 2021 Co-op Bank reported a small underlying profit in the first three months of 2021 of £2.6m, with statutory profit before tax of £7.2m. CEO Nick Slape said the bank had delivered a “resilient” three-month performance, that should position it well to deliver overall profit in 2021. “We have delivered a resilient performance by maintaining our [...]
Co-op hands furlough cash back to government as profit doubles April 8, 2021 Co-op has announced it will repay furlough money received during the pandemic as the convenience store chain announced profit more than doubled last year. The firm will hand £15.5m back to the government it said this morning as it revealed that profit after tax and discontinued items was £77m, up from £33m in 2019, on [...]
Co-op bites back at shoplifters with GPS tracking on meat April 1, 2021 The Co-op has begun attaching GPS tracking tags on meat products in a trial to bite back at shoplifters this week. Clear plastic boxes with the tracking tech built-in have been put around meat products in stores across the UK. What triggered Co-op to place GPS tracking on their items is unknown, but it is [...]
Music Feeds festival to fight food poverty following £1m Co-op donation January 8, 2021 Co-op has organised a digital music festival in a bid to “turn up the volume” on the fight against food poverty, also donating £1m to charities. The two-day festival Music Feeds, co-organised by CEverybody Belongs Here, will see a third of net profits being donated to FareShare, helping provide 2.5m meals to those in need. [...]
Supermarket heavyweights the Co-op and Waitrose face mounting pressure to return business rates relief December 4, 2020 High street titans the Co-op Group and Waitrose are facing mounting pressure to follow their peers and hand back millions of pounds of business rates relief dished out to keep the companies afloat during the pandemic. The Co-op is facing growing disquiet from members after refusing to emulate rivals Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Aldi, [...]