Inside Track: The EU’s rules to cap bankers’ bonuses aren’t working January 15, 2014 CREATE a loophole and bankers will leap through it quicker than you can say “deferred compensation”: that seems to be one of the axioms of the aftermath of the financial crisis. Examine the consequences of the European Commission’s cap on the multiple of salaries that banks can dish out in variable pay, though, and the [...]
Burden on high streets is eased as rates capped December 5, 2013 BRITAIN’S struggling high streets were handed some relief yesterday after the government gave in to calls from industry leaders to cap the rise in business rates next year. George Osborne has cut the rise in rates, due to come into force next April, to two per cent instead of the planned 3.2 per cent rise [...]
Cranswick’s pork and bacon in demand as half-year profits rise November 25, 2013 PORK processor Cranswick posted a 16 per cent rise in pre-tax profits yesterday thanks to strong demand for its bacon and fresh pork. The FTSE 250 firm, which makes upmarket sausages, bacon, and cooked meats for supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and Tesco, reported pre-tax profits of £26.1m in the six months to 30 September, up from [...]
Bottom Line: A shift at Tesco could change the whole market December 2, 2013 TESCO wasn’t the only supermarket moving downwards yesterday. As shares in the UK’s biggest grocer continued their downward trend, fellow retailers Sainsbury’s and Morrisons dipped in sympathy – despite the former recently topping profit forecasts and outshining its competitors. So why all the discontent in the aisles? HSBC’s note on Tesco yesterday, in which it [...]
Discounters grab market share from UK’s leading supermarkets October 22, 2013 SAINSBURY’S was the only one of the big four supermarkets to gain market share in the 12 weeks to 13 October as discounters continued to put pressure on Britain’s grocers, Data from Kantar Worldpanel out yesterday showed Aldi’s sales leapt by 31.7 per cent year-on-year, gaining record market share of 3.8 per cent against three [...]
M&S sales lose their shine after poor Christmas January 6, 2014 MARKS & Spencer is set to report poor festive trading this week as heavy discounting activity in the run-up to Christmas failed to spark a late surge in spending. Analysts predict the retailer will report a drop in third quarter general merchandise sales of as much as 1.5 per cent, despite a highly publicised revamp [...]
Asda promises to invest £1bn in lower prices November 14, 2013 ASDA pledged yesterday to invest £1bn in lowering prices of some of its products over the next five years and expand its UK presence, as the supermarket reported a slowdown in third quarter sales. The Walmart-owned group, which is vying with Sainsbury’s to be the UK’s second largest supermarket, said the move will help it [...]
Lidl boss eyes 600 new stores December 1, 2013 LIDL’s UK managing director has announced plans to double the discount chain’s number of stores over the coming years. On the growth of Lidl’s 600 current stores Ronny Gottschlich said “If I could have the 1,200 in the next three years, then I would have it in the next three years. But it is clear [...]
Inside Track: My top tip for 2014: Deutsche Post will buy Royal Mail December 18, 2013 IT wouldn’t be the final column of a calendar year without some predictions for the next 12 months. Here are my top three: Royal Mail will complete a journey from being wholly-owned by the UK state to wholly-owned by a German enterprise within little more than 12 months. Deutsche Post won’t get it delivered cheap, [...]
Supermarkets in fuel pricing wars September 26, 2013 THE SUPERMARKET price war on petrol escalated yesterday, when some of Britain’s largest chains slashed costs for the second time in a matter of days and Sainsbury’s became the latest grocer to enter the fray. Asda said that it would cut unleaded petrol by 3p to 128.7p per litre and diesel by 2p to 135.7p [...]