Public urged to be vigilant amid rise in online coronavirus scams March 24, 2020 Members of the public have been urged to be vigilant due to a rise in online scams related to the coronavirus outbreak. Consumer groups warned that unscrupulous criminals were exploiting fears about the pandemic to prey on unsuspecting victims — particularly older and vulnerable people isolated from family and friends. National Trading Standards reported an [...]
Coronavirus: John Lewis launches virtual services April 14, 2020 John Lewis has launched a platform to provide its in-store services, such as decorating and style advice, online while its stores are closed during the UK coronavirus lockdown. The department store said it will offer virtual nursery, home design and style advice through video calls with customers. John Lewis is currently unable to provide the [...]
Waitrose trials ‘in-home’ delivery service while you’re at work October 5, 2018 Waitrose is testing out a new service where it will put away your food shopping for you while you're out, enabling more customers to receive home deliveries during the work week. Using smart lock technology, customers will be able to grant access to Waitorise drivers by setting a temporary passcode which is then deleted once the [...]
John Lewis issues profit warning as MD steps down January 9, 2020 John Lewis & Partners issued a profit warning today and said its managing director will leave the struggling business next month after underwhelming Christmas sales. The retail partnership warned full-year profits will be “substantially down” on last year as it revealed significant drops in both John Lewis and Waitrose revenue. Read more: Four problems new [...]
Christmas adverts 2019: John Lewis unveils Excitable Edgar campaign November 14, 2019 John Lewis has unveiled its highly anticipated Christmas advert this morning, telling the story of a little girl and her accident-prone dragon Excitable Edgar. In the two minute 30 second clip, which marks the department store’s first joint Christmas marketing campaign with Waitrose, viewers see Edgar accidentally derail Christmas festivities with his fire breathing tendencies. [...]
Morrisons wins legal case over data breach liability April 1, 2020 The UK’s highest court has ruled that Morrisons is not legally liable for the actions of a disgruntled former employee who leaked the data of more than 100,000 workers. Supreme Court judge Lord Reed ruled this morning that the supermarket was not vicariously liable for the conduct of Andrew Skelton, who was jailed in 2015 [...]
The good, the bad, and the orange: In search of the perfect 2020 Christmas ad November 24, 2020 To call 2020 a “garbage fire” of a year would not be unfair. This year has turned people’s worlds upside-down in so many ways. But at least a few things remain a constant presence in life — one of which is the return of the blockbuster Christmas TV advert. While the advertising budgets look a [...]
The Boohoo scandal shouldn’t shock anyone — modern slavery is a pandemic July 21, 2020 No brand today should be “shocked and appalled” at what happens in its own supply chain, as fast fashion brand Boohoo recently claimed to be. To know so little about the sourcing, processes and practices involved in creating a product you sell should be a crime itself. Tales of UK-based sweat shops and modern slavery [...]
‘Waitrose of the north’ posts £2.2m sales loss amid trading pressures October 15, 2018 Booths, the Lancashire-based supermarket chain dubbed “the Waitrose of the north” for its focus on high-quality food, posted a £2.2m loss on sales but cut its overall losses in half, its latest results revealed. The family-owned-and-operated supermarket, which has 28 stores across Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, saw its losses before taxation fall [...]
The best wine to drink with your lockdown roast November 18, 2020 After a brief Indian summer it looks as though things are on the turn in the UK. A change in temperature and government-enforced house arrest mean we have only one thing to look forward to this weekend: the mega roast. One of the many tragedies of the pandemic has been its impact on some of Britain’s great producers, with many relying on restaurants as their route [...]