Is Waitrose boss Mark Price right that the Big Four supermarkets are “20 years out of date”? October 22, 2014 James McGregor, director of Retail Remedy, says Yes. Mark Price is correct that structural shifts in retail are a far bigger threat to the Big Four (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons) than Aldi and Lidl. Yes, the discounters are a problem, but they’re not the big problem. The main issue is that people’s grocery shopping [...]
Asda boss Andy Clarke’s 4 top leadership tips | City A.M. February 6, 2014 Speaking last night at the British Retail Consortium’s Future Retail Leader’s event, Asda chief executive Andy Clarke gave an account of his journey to the top – starting with the day he left school with just one O Level in English at 15. Realising he had spent too much time on the rugby pitch in [...]
How Aldi is about to overtake Waitrose and become the sixth largest supermarket in Britain July 29, 2014 Aldi and Lidl continue to win in the battle of the supermarkets as their market share surged and sales were up, leaving the big four- Tesco, Asda, Sinasbury's and Morrisons- trailing behind when it comes to growth. Aldi’s stellar performance places it almost level with Waitrose as the big four continue to feel the pressure [...]
How Aldi is about to overtake Waitrose and become the sixth largest supermarket in Britain July 29, 2014 Aldi and Lidl continue to win in the battle of the supermarkets as their market share surged and sale rise, leaving the big four- Tesco, Asda, Sinasbury's and Morrisons- trailing behind. Aldi’s stellar performance places it almost level with Waitrose as the big four continue to feel the pressure from discounters. The latest figures from [...]
Aldi UK profits jump nearly 66 per cent September 29, 2014 Group turnover at budget supermarket Aldi rocketed more than 35 per cent in the UK and Ireland during 2013, while pre-tax profits soared by nearly two-thirds, it said today. Sales at the discount grocer rose to £5.27bn for the year to December 31, 2013, up from £3.89bn the preceding year. Pre-tax profits, meanwhile, jumped [...]
Tesco suffers worst decline in grocery sector October 21, 2014 TESCO emerged as the biggest loser in the grocery sector over the past three months, despite sales showing signs of recovery, as the supermarket price war and fierce competition continued to take its toll on the troubled retailer. The company, which stunned the City last month with revelations of a £250m black hole in its [...]
Walmart goes hipster as it appoints Instagram founder Kevin Systrom to its board September 29, 2014 The world's largest retailer has come over more Walden than Walmart, after it appointed Instagram founder and chief executive Kevin Systrom to its board. The US-based supermarket, which owns Asda, said Systrom's "digital expertise will be invaluable" – so we can only presume Walmart is after his technical know-how, rather than is ability to attract beard-sporting, [...]
Disposable income stagnant despite rapid economic growth July 21, 2014 UK disposable incomes have risen by just £1 per week in the last year, according to gloomy figures released by Asda this morning. Despite economic growth, real incomes are still not rising, and Asda’s tracker suggests that the typical household’s discretionary income rose from £170 to just £171 a week in the year to June. [...]
Sainsbury’s needs to shore up the shop – Bottom Line October 1, 2014 In business, timing is everything, and retail moves faster than most businesses. Justin King, Sainsbury’s ex-kingpin, seems to have grasped this better than most when he sailed off into the sunset earlier this year, just as the storm clouds were gathering over the supermarket. Under King’s helm, Sainsbury’s reported a 2.1 per cent rise in [...]
Fashion wars… a Lidl bit of what you fancy August 20, 2014 The invasion of supermarkets into the fashion sector is hotting up after hard discounter Lidl announced yesterday it was entering the fray. The German retailer is to launch a new fashion range for women next Monday, including ankle boots for £9.99 and even a faux leather jacket for £15. Lidl already sells basic clothing such [...]