Can you blame employers for cutting benefits and perks because of the National Living Wage? May 9, 2016 Since the introduction on 1 April 2016 of the National Living Wage (NLW) there’ve been plenty of employers in the news for making cuts to staff perks. Le Pain Quotidian, Zizzi, Caffe Nero, Eat, Tesco, the John Lewis Partnership and B&Q have all cut back on certain benefits. Most of these businesses have denied that the changes are being introduced because of the NLW, but either [...]
Supermarket wars: Growth at Co-op Food for first time in a year, as Tesco and Asda decline yet again July 28, 2015 The Co-Operative supermarket is back in growth for the first time in a year, as Sainsbury's reclaims its second place position in the sector. The sector experienced slight growth for the 12 weeks to 19 July, with sales up 0.8 per cent year on year – though this was generally experienced by the smaller [...]
As social media platforms get better at monetising, what should marketers expect? June 6, 2016 Monetising is a top priority for the world’s leading social platforms like Twitter and Periscope, and recent figures suggest they’re getting better at it. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, the UK’s social media ad spend rose 51 per cent last year to £574m, so what developments should marketers expect from these firms over the coming [...]
Sinking supermarkets: Tesco has had a disastrous year. Can it recover? June 18, 2015 The UK’s supermarkets were once investment darlings. The likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s emerged on the stock markets, radically changed our shopping habits and then rose to dominance on the FTSE 100. But times have changed, and the supermarkets have been down on their luck. Are they still worthwhile investments? “Part of the [...]
BT plays catch up to Sky over on-demand TV March 20, 2016 Telecoms giant BT is looking into gaining further control over on-demand TV service YouView from TalkTalk in an attempt to build up its market share of the premium TV industry and catch leader Sky. BT has held informal talks with TalkTalk over the future of the joint business venture, which would allow BT to pour [...]
Evidence from Mexico shows sugar tax won’t be a cure for calorie intake, according to a new study from the TaxPayers’ Alliance June 13, 2016 Evidence from Mexico’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax shows the UK's sugar levy is unlikely to have any "meaningful impact" on calorie intake, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) has claimed. If the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages had the same effect in the UK as it did in Mexico, average UK daily soft drink consumption would fall by between 5.4 millilitres and [...]
Barclays customers can now use Apple Pay… finally April 5, 2016 It's been a long old wait, but Barclays has finally jumped on board the Apple Pay bandwagon. Barclays is the last of the major banks to support Apple Pay in the UK, letting customers pay with just the swipe of their iPhone or Apple Watch. “Since we introduced contactless to the UK in 2007, it’s [...]
Tesco Ribena and Capri Sun ban: What’s next off the shelves, Coke, Haribo, Ketchup? These are the odds on how likely that is July 28, 2015 First they came for the Ribena and Capri Sun, now are they coming for our Coca Cola? Tesco is removing sugary drinks aimed at kids from its shelves because of worries over obesity, and people are not happy about that at all. Ribena, Capri Sun and Rubicon products that are the size of a kids [...]
The world’s biggest emojis were just created by Tesco Mobile in a field near Bath to cheer up commuters July 22, 2015 The world's biggest emojis have been created in a field near Bath to cheer up weary commuters. With the help of 25 artists and 700 litres of paint, a giant smiling face emoji that spans 100ft – the equivalent of three double decker buses – graced the outskirts of the Somerset city while a mysterious [...]
Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe celebrates a Sport Relief windfall with David Walliams and Eastenders star Maddy Hill as the grocery giant raises more than £7m for charity this year March 20, 2016 Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe must be feeling pretty confident about his store's competitive streak. A week after revealing strong results, the superstore boss got together with soap opera stars to celebrate the success of Sainsbury's Sport Relief Games. This year, the grocery giant has raised over £7m in aid of Sport Relief, culminating in a series fitness [...]