M&S buying growth with Ocado? February 27, 2019 M&S’s purchase of Ocado’s UK retail business looks rather like one of its own ready meals – overpriced, not very good for you but easy, quick and ready to heat up. M&S and Ocado have confirmed the details of their joint venture. M&S is paying up to £750m for the 50/50 stake in Ocado’s UK [...]
Ocado set to cut 400 jobs as it looks to rebuild Andover warehouse after fire May 17, 2019 Ocado has said it will slash as many as 400 jobs after a huge fire destroyed its distribution centre in Andover. The delivery firm’s flagship automated warehouse in Hampshire was razed to the ground in February after a three-day inferno. Read more: Waitrose outlines £1bn online shopping plan Ocado initially tried to find a suitable [...]
A tie-up with Ocado could signal a long overdue step into food delivery for M&S January 28, 2019 If 2018 was the year of profit warnings for retailers, 2019 looks set to be the year of closures. Last week it was the turn of Paperchase to be reportedly mulling a possible sale and store closures, joining the likes of HMV and French Connection in search for a rescue bidder. It is within such [...]
The UK’s best and worst supermarkets: How did Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Lidl do? February 22, 2019 The big four supermarket chains have lost ground to budget rivals in a survey of shopper satisfaction, as customers grow increasingly dissatisfied with the the quality of in-house labels. Read more: Watchdog may block Sainsbury's-Asda merger Aldi and Lidl outperformed the big four with customer satisfaction scores of 68 and 66 per cent respectively, according to [...]
Waitrose chocolate avocado sells out at some stores as Easter treat becomes best-selling own-brand egg March 21, 2018 Waitrose’s avocado-shaped chocolate egg has become the fastest-selling own-brand Easter egg in the supermarket’s history. The £8 treat has even sold out at some stores as customers rushed to get their hands on one. Waitrose is now restocking its branches in preparation for the weekend. “Our chocolate avocados have been a phenomenal hit with customers [...]
John Lewis, Waitrose and Lidl: The top 10 retailers with the best customer shopping experience – Forrester February 15, 2018 Middle England favourites John Lewis and Waitrose continue to triumph when it comes to offering shoppers the best customer experience – but Lidl is racing ahead of rivals. The discounter climbed to ninth – a rise of six places – in an annual ranking of the best customer shopping experience, taking into account things such [...]
Botanical drinks startup with top City backers set for crowdfunding May 14, 2019 A botanical drinks startup which counts high-profile City veterans and celebrities among its backers is set to launch a £1m crowdfunding in its latest expansion drive. David Spencer-Percival, the serial entrepreneur who runs No.1 Rosemary Water, told City A.M. he is looking to lure in fresh capital amid a global product drive and the launch of [...]
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’ [...]
John Lewis enjoys sales boost after strong Christmas performance January 8, 2019 John Lewis has doubled down on a positive festive period after reporting double-figure sales growth over the last week. The department store chain said total sales for the week to 5 January were up 11.2 per cent on the same period last year, thanks to its post-Christmas clearance. The figures were driven by soaring menswear [...]
Debate: As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? May 17, 2019 As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? YES – Sophie Lewis is chief strategy officer at marketing agency VMLY&R. If you’d asked me two years ago, my answer would have been in the negative, but we’ve reached a cultural tipping point when it comes to both vegetarians [...]