Why Tesco’s cracking results took the Christmas crown January 10, 2013 HOW to find a clear winner in the Christmas battle of the supermarkets? Not from the headline figures, it seems, after straightforward data releases from Sainsbury and Tesco descended into a furore over the small print. Tesco reported like-for-like sales growth of 1.8 per cent over Christmas. Sainsbury reported like-for-like growth of 0.9 per cent. [...]
Grocers set to unveil festive trading figures January 7, 2013 TESCO is expected to emerge as the winner of a tough Christmas trading period for Britain’s big four supermarkets as weak consumer confidence, falling real incomes and rising real prices put pressure on the sector. Analysts predict the grocer will on Thursday post a one per cent rise in UK like-for-like sales for the six [...]
Saucy new job for ex-Clifford Chance lawyer December 20, 2012 THE LAWYER to foodie career move must be a relatively uncommon one, or so The Capitalist thought. City A.M. reported earlier this month on SJ Berwin tax solicitor Lucy Gregory jumping off the legal career ladder to pursue a vocation in cheesemongery. Now another legal bod has achieved entrepreneurial success in the food industry. Helen [...]
Festive trading is slow for UK supermarkets as sales weaken December 19, 2012 SUPERMARKET grocery sales have slowed in the past four weeks, held back by weak general merchandise sales and the continued squeeze on consumer budgets. According to the latest data from Nielsen, grocery sales in the four weeks to 8 December rose 1.3 per cent year-on-year. That compared with a two per cent growth in the [...]
Sun European takes a shine to packaging January 2, 2013 SUN EUROPEAN Partners has snapped up two packaging companies including Lincolnshire-based Paragon Print & Packaging in a £400m spending spree. Sun European, an arm of US private equity firm Sun Capital, yesterday said it had bought a 49 per cent stake in Paragon from Equistone and LDC for an undisclosed sum. Sun European also completed [...]
Sainsbury’s to buy 18 Total petrol stations from Rontec April 11, 2012 J SAINSBURY said yesterday it will buy 18 Total petrol stations across the country from Rontec as the retailer looks to expand its fuel business and grow the number of convenience stores. The deal, which is subject to approval from the Office of Fair Trading, includes seven Total-branded stations in London, as well as sites [...]
Sainsbury’s to buy 18 Total petrol stations from Rontec April 11, 2012 J SAINSBURY said yesterday it will buy 18 Total petrol stations across the country from Rontec as the retailer looks to expand its fuel business and grow the number of convenience stores. The deal, which is subject to approval from the Office of Fair Trading, includes seven Total-branded stations in London, as well as sites [...]
January Bank rates are likely to stay steady January 7, 2013 THE European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to keep interest rates on hold when it meets for its first policy meeting this year, analysts predict. “We believe the continued improvement in the forward-looking survey data will have been sufficient to stay the hand of those on the council who last month were willing to wait [...]
Sainsbury’s sees boost in market share March 21, 2012 J SAINSBURY boss Justin King said the retailer’s success “was not dependent on others failing” as the group continued to win market share from rivals like Tesco and posted a surge in fourth-quarter sales. Justin King described himself as a “competitive guy” as the UK’s third largest supermarket reported a 2.6 rise in like-for-like sales [...]
Fiasco over results tests M&S’s loyalty to Tulchan January 17, 2013 THERE is little more certain in life than this: one firm’s misfortune will be seized on by rivals desperate to take advantage of another’s woes. So it is that a host of financial public relation agencies have been bending the ears of Marks & Spencer executives to test the retailer’s loyalty to its incumbent agency [...]