‘We should all be ashamed’: NHS England boss calls for end to panic-buying March 21, 2020 The medical director of NHS England has said everyone should “be ashamed” that vital healthcare staff were being deprived of supplies due to panic-buying. Stephen Powis called on the public to think of those working long days to look after our loved ones when shopping. The appeal came at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing today, [...]
Brits spent an extra £1.9bn in stockpiling spree before coronavirus lockdown March 31, 2020 Brits made over 79 million extra trips to supermarkets in the four weeks leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as people rushed to stock up on groceries ahead of restrictions being introduced, according to industry data. The stockpiling drove a 20.5 per cent jump in supermarket sales up to 21 March, with customers spending an [...]
High tech the solution for the returning High Street May 29, 2020 With Number 10 announcing that retailers can begin to re-open from June 15th, all eyes turn to the fortunes of the businesses which make up Britain’s high streets and bring colour to our communities. After three months of closure for most of these retailers, the news will provoke a mixture of reactions. Most are desperate [...]
Tesco CEO: Analysts react to Dave Lewis’ shock departure October 2, 2019 Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis this morning made the shock announcement that he is preparing to step down, saying the supermarket giant’s turnaround is complete. Lewis cited personal reasons for his decision and declared that five to six years is an appropriate tenure for a chief executive. Read more: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis quits Boots [...]
Morrisons sales fall in ‘unusually challenging’ Christmas period January 7, 2020 Supermarket giant Morrisons has announced a drop in sales for the Christmas period amid “unusually challenging” trading conditions and “sustained” customer uncertainty. Group like-for-like sales excluding fuel fell 1.7 per cent for the 22 weeks to 5 January. Including fuel, the drop was 2.8 per cent. Total sales excluding fuel were down 1.3 per cent, [...]
Asda gives hundreds of employees extra week to sign new contracts before facing sack November 2, 2019 Asda will give employees an extra week to sign new employment contracts before dismissing them with the original deadline set for today. The supermarket said workers who had yet to sign the new so-called Contract 6 would be given a seven-day “cooling-off period” to change their mind before losing their jobs. Read more: Asda rejects [...]
Where Co-op will open 30 new stores before Christmas December 10, 2019 Co-op is aiming to open 30 new stores in the run-up to Christmas, as it invests £25m in sites at transport hubs, residential blocks and key city locations. The new stores are expected to create up to 500 jobs, bringing some festive cheer to the UK retail industry following a challenging year for the high [...]
Ocado bags sales jump amid decline in supermarket sector July 23, 2019 Ocado has posted a double-digit rise in sales over the last quarter as it defied an overall decline in the supermarket sector. The online retailer boosted its sales by 11.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to 14 July, stealing a larger chunk of the competitive grocery market. Read more: Sainsbury’s sales slip in ‘tough’ [...]
Halma raises payout as profit grows 14 per cent November 19, 2019 Halma, the global life-saving technology company, increased its interim dividend today on the back of record first half results. Read more: Lidl brings hourly pay rate in line with living wage The figures The FTSE 100 company saw revenue grow 12 per cent to £653.7m, up from £585.5m in the same period in 2018. A [...]
Top City investors urge UK firms to pay living wage November 28, 2019 Some of the City’s biggest investors have written to the chief executives of companies including Just Eat, British Airways, and Royal Mail urging them to pay the so-called real living wage. The letter, published today, outlines a growing business case for the living wage, arguing that it can boost productivity, reduce staff turnover and improve [...]