2014 Black Friday, Cyber and Manic Mondays set to break all UK records December 1, 2014 Black Friday became a weekend-long shopping spree yesterday as consumers were set to spend about £650m during Cyber Monday. Yesterday marked another pre-Christmas internet shopping frenzy, and industry body IMRG estimated that about £451,000 was spent per minute – making it the busiest online shopping day ever and a 26 per cent increase on last year. Market [...]
Black Friday UK 2014 vs 2013: Live graph reveals how insane this year’s frenzy is as more retailers get on board November 28, 2014 Is it us, or has Black Friday gone crazy this year? There have been reports of punch-ups at supermarkets and even someone breaking their wrist in the clamour to get hold of a cheap telly. And as if we didn't already need a reminder of the sheer American-ness of it all, Asda has laid on [...]
In charts: Spending on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Manic Monday to peak at £470k per minute November 26, 2014 Retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Amazon and Currys PC World are gearing up for what are tipped to be some of the biggest shopping days of the year. The retailers have unveiled a whole range of deals on everything from electricals like TVs, tablets and other gadgets to designer watches, clothing and [...]
Hemingway Design: The family team behind East Village in Stratford February 12, 2015 Once the last fireworks of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games had fizzled out, it was time for the cranes to move in and turn this former marshland into a place people being would literally buy into. While West Ham and Spurs were arguing over who gets the Olympic Stadium, a team [...]
Why is the first quarter the worst time of year for retail administrations? January 6, 2015 Hating January already? Be thankful you're not a retail business, because the festive hangover is even more brutal for them. The first quarter has been consistently the biggest period for retail failures looking back over the past three years – and experts believe 2015 could see even more companies collapse as the repercussions of [...]
In pictures: Black Friday UK 2014 – police called to branches of Tesco and Asda as crowds swamp stores November 28, 2014 Police have been called to supermarkets all over the UK amid fears of overcrowding, as shoppers stormed supermarkets in order to grab some Black Friday deals. US import Black Friday has prompted shoppers to flock to stores as retailers like Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis slash prices. There are huge discounts available on everything [...]
Matthew Barnes takes the Aldi reins solo as Roman Heini returns to Germany November 21, 2014 Aldi is restructuring its top team in the UK and Ireland, with Matthew Barnes taking over as chief executive from April next year. Barnes has been joint group managing director for Aldi UK and Ireland, alongside Roman Heini, since 2010. Heini is stepping down from his, instead taking on the position of chairman [...]
Sainsbury’s Christmas advert 2014: Storm surrounding marketing seen by turn as epic or disrespectful November 16, 2014 The film had its world premier on Wednesday. Some 8m people have already tuned in to see it and it has split critics down the middle, being described as “a masterpiece”, “grim”, “epic”, and “disrespectful”. It’s not the latest blockbuster movie, but Sainsbury’s two-minute Christmas ad. There was a time, not so very long [...]
Tesco AGM: Lewis grilled over pay, performance and strategy but all resolutions passed June 26, 2015 Tesco bosses faced a grilling by shareholders today, fending off complaints about customer service, overall strategy and – of course – pay. But by the end of the AGM it was clear the supermarket's shareholders weren't revolting – at least not as much as some thought they might be. All of Tesco's resolutions, at least [...]
Jobless figures and MPC report at centre stage – London Week Ahead December 14, 2014 BY THE looks of this week’s economic calendar, traders thinking of taking off early for their Christmas holidays may be forced to rethink their travel plans. In the UK the minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) last meeting will also be scrutinised. However, the report which has the greatest potential to move markets is [...]