High street burns, but Issa brothers mull a fiddle with Nero December 20, 2020 Asda owners EG Group are offering to fund a legal challenge against Caffe Nero over its controversial rescue deal, it was reported today. The Group, owned by the petrol station tycoons the Issa Brothers, has hired lawyers as well as property agents Christie’s and CWM as part of an effort to overturn the coffee chain’s [...]
Analysis: What the fuel crisis is all about and what may happen next September 30, 2021 Despite the government urging people to stop “panic-buying” petrol and return to their normal pattern of purchasing, pumps have run dry in some forecourts. Here City A.M. helps you to understand what is happening and who is involved. So who are the biggest players? The UK’s biggest operator is the Motor Fuel Group. Other companies [...]
‘Butiful sheese’ – the tasty tang of success from the Scottish Isles May 7, 2021 Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that Bute Island Foods has won a 2021 Queen’s Award forinternational trade for the range of vegan cheese they manufacture. Maybe so, but more likely though, it is recognition of an excellence and appeal that has finallymatured since the company’s formation in 1988. Despite being around for thousands [...]
BoE urges banks to keep lending as government schemes come to an end March 26, 2021 The Bank of England has urged banks to continue lending through the recovery as the government starts to wind down its coronavirus loan schemes. While the vaccine rollout has boosted confidence the Financial Policy Committee (FPC), which looks at the risks facing the system, has warned SMEs will need to finance cash-flow deficits this year [...]
E-commerce grocery sales plateau boosts Aldi’s market share to peak levels June 22, 2021 The growth of e-commerce sales in the grocery market has plateaued, giving the likes of Aldi an opportunity to grow its market share after not making use of online sales in the past year. The percentage of e-commerce sales in the grocery market remained flat at 13.4 per cent in the four weeks to 13 [...]
Competition regulator blocks Sainsbury’s-Asda merger April 25, 2019 A planned tie-up between supermarket giants Sainsbury’s and Asda suffered a final blow from the UK’s competition watchdog, which said this morning that "it has decided to prohibit the merger in its entirety". Read more: Watchdog may block Sainsbury's-Asda merger Sainsbury’s, Walmart and Asda revealed today that they have mutually agreed to terminate the merger plans [...]
Food prices drop for first time in four years due to anti-stockpiling measures in 2020 lockdown April 28, 2021 Food prices fell this month for the first time in four years in comparison to last year, when retailers paused discounting to reduce stockpiling at the beginning of the pandemic. Prices fell 0.6 per cent in April, down from a rise of 0.3 per cent in March, marking the first time food prices have been [...]
Co-op Group under pressure to repay £80m of government funding March 4, 2021 The Co-op board will reportedly meet next week to discuss handing back millions in government cash it was handed during the pandemic. The move would follow in the footsteps of leading supermarkets who returned business rates relief at the end of last year and have pledged to forgo the break announced in the Budget. The [...]
Asda sales dip on Easter timing as IPO interest mounts May 16, 2019 Asda reported a fall in like-for-like sales today following the later timing of Easter, amid growing City speculation over a possible floatation for the Walmart-owned grocery giant. Like-for-like sales at the group tumbled 1.1 per cent as a result of the holiday shift in the three months to the end of March, Walmart said today, [...]
Ex-Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe joins NHS Test and Trace September 29, 2020 Former Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe has been appointed as a director at the UK’s beleaguered coronavirus testing service. Coupe, who was once caught on camera singing “we’re in the money” in relation to a since canned merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda, has been appointed testing director of NHS Test and Trace. The former supermarket [...]