The Scottish Widow has returned January 22, 2014 THE WORLD’S most recognisable cape is back. No, not Batman, the Scottish Widow, obviously. Following a four-year hiatus, the insurance giant’s famous lady in black is back with a fresh new face and an ad campaign due to hit our small screens in February, as part of a drive by Lloyds to revamp the brand. [...]
A DIY investment price war could be on the way January 15, 2014 Imagine if Sainsbury’s or Tesco made you pay to enter their supermarkets and buy their milk and bread, but promised that the milk and bread would be much cheaper than before. That slightly dystopian vision is what occurred to UK money management industry last year, after regulators decided the relationship between suppliers and distributors was [...]
Vodafone hires former Bupa boss Gooding as a non-exec December 3, 2013 VODAFONE has hired Val Gooding to sit on its board as a non-exec. Gooding, who is the chairman of tech parts specialist Premier Farnell, will join Vodafone on 1 February, the FTSE 100-listed telecoms giant said yesterday. She spent 10 years as the chief executive of healthcare group Bupa. Gooding is also lead non-executive director [...]
Supermarkets slump as half of UK shoppers head to discounters December 17, 2013 FOR THE first time ever, more than half of the UK shopped in either an Aldi or Lidl in the last three months, putting pressure on bigger retailers as the shift toward discount shopping continues unabated. Sales at Aldi surged by 30.7 per cent in the 12 weeks to 8 December while its smaller discount rival [...]
A two-speed high street January 9, 2014 A CLEAR split between Britain’s winners and losers in the battle for consumers’ cash this Christmas emerged yesterday, as three of the biggest retail chains revealed worse-than-expected trading. Poor results from Tesco, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer added to dreary updates from Sainsbury’s and Mothercare, with heavy discounting, weak consumer spending and the rising discount [...]
Tesco sees UK sales drop 1.5 per cent in third quarter December 4, 2013 Tesco has announced a 1.5 per cent fall in like-for-like sales in the three months to 23 November, which it says is down to a weaker UK grocery market. Underlying sales fell in every country in which it operates. The sobering news is in line with predictions from Citi analysts. It doesn't bode well for [...]
Bottom Line: Despite the convenience boom, UK grocers are still thinking big December 8, 2013 IF YOU need reminding of the grocery sector’s continuing ambition, all you have to do is step outside your office to the nearest supermarket convenience store. These compact ventures have sprung up across city centres, going from 2,000 branches in 1998 to 14,000 and climbing today, a rate of increase that may seem to put [...]
London Report: Retailers set to reveal scale of 2013 hangover January 5, 2014 RETAIL figures due this week will reveal whether Britain’s major brands are going into the New Year with a Christmas hangover. Marks & Spencer and Tesco are both set to report on Thursday, and J Sainsbury on Wednesday, with figures likely to show retailers faced a dismal festive season. Debenhams has already set the tone, [...]
Power steering March 9, 2014 What happens when Bernie Ecclestone leaves Formula One? HE IS one of Britain’s best-known chief executives, and over 40 years has transformed Formula One from an amateur pastime into a billion-pound business and the world’s most-watched annual sports series. Bernie Ecclestone has become a household name through his appearances on F1’s glitzy grid, and his [...]
Why Stagecoach is so successful in the US December 11, 2013 US MARKETS are often seen as the place British businesses go to die, which makes Stagecoach’s transatlantic success something of a surprise. The firm operates around 2,600 buses and coaches in the US and Canada, as well as offering commuter and school bus services. And while Stagecoach is already a key player in the UK, [...]