Bottom Line: This is the end of the big four supermarkets March 13, 2014 DALTON Philips kicked off more than just a price war yesterday. By promising to slash prices in an effort to turn around Morrisons’ fortunes, he also exposed a growing schism at the heart of the British grocery market. For years, supermarket analysts have talked about the big four (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) but with [...]
Shoe repair business Timpson launches its thousandth store January 19, 2014 FAMILY-OWNED shoe repair business Timpson is opening its thousandth shop today in Wrexham, North Wales, as the company’s expansion plans gather momentum. Timpson will be renting the space at a Tesco site, a spokesperson from the supermarket chain told City A.M. The unit is part of a joint venture between Timpson and Tesco. It will [...]
What you need to know before the open April 16, 2014 European bourses are expected to open higher today. After a very choppy day yesterday, US markets closed up, despite Russian claims that Ukraine’s “close to civil war”. Weak GDP data from China – growth slowed to 7.4 per cent in the first quarter – could add jitters to markets, though, but there's also UK unemployment [...]
Flying first glass: Virgin Atlantic kits out crew with Google specs February 10, 2014 IF YOU happen to be flying with Virgin Atlantic out of Heathrow today, you may be met with a surprise. Never one to be left behind in technological adventures, Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic fleet will be trialling Google Glass – well, in the Upper Class Wing at least. Concierge staff will meet customers in the Upper [...]
What you need to know before the US open March 21, 2014 US stock futures have climbed higher, putting Wall Street on track for a good week, despite ongoing geopolitical worries and an interest rate-related fright from the Fed. Things have been escalating between Russia and the West. Obama’s targeted some of Putin’s nearest political and business allies, and the EU’s imposed sanctions on more individuals, in [...]
Why Sainsbury’s is SocGen’s favourite supermarket January 22, 2014 When it came to supermarkets’ Christmas performance in the UK, the discounters claimed the victory. Aldi and Lidl saw sales leap, both increasing their market shares. It was good news for high-end store Waitrose, too, which also saw a bumper festive period. It’s the Big Four – or, at least, three of them (Tesco, Asda [...]
Tesco makes London superstore a flagship for F&F clothing brand August 4, 2013 TESCO confirmed yesterday that it plans to launch a London flagship store for its F&F clothing brand this Autumn. The UK’s largest supermarket group said it will open a 5,000 square feet concession on the mezzanine floor of its Kensington superstore around October. Tesco already has F&F concessions within stores in Woolwich in south east [...]
London Report: Supermarket fears lead FTSE to a fifth consecutive drop March 13, 2014 BRITISH shares fell for a fifth straight session yesterday, dragged down by supermarket stocks after WM Morrison cut its profit outlook, as well as by escalating tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Morrison’s was the worst performer on the FTSE 100 index, plunging 11.9 per cent, and its revised outlook triggered a sell-off [...]
Tesco pulls out of independent Chinese operations amid growing regional competition August 9, 2013 Tesco has announced it will be ending its independent operations in China to embark on a joint venture with China Resources Enterprise (release). Tesco will merge 131 of its stores with 2.986 of CRE’s, taking advantage of the Chinese company’s “deep understanding of local customers, established nationwide infrastructure and proven track record as a partner [...]
Analysts predict price cuts at Sainsbury’s April 29, 2014 Analysts at Deutsche Bank issued a positive note on Sainbury’s today ahead of its full-year results next week, arguing that the supermarket group could be a relative winner in the sector compared to its rivals but warning that it will have to join them in slashing prices to stay ahead of the game. The [...]