Tesco ramps up fight back against German discounters March 5, 2020 Tesco has ramped up the competition with the German discount supermarkets as it pledged to price match hundreds of products. The UK’s Big Four supermarkets – which also includes Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – have been shedding market share to budget rivals Aldi and Lidl. Tesco, which is the UK’s largest supermarket, suffered a 0.8 [...]
Naughty or nice: Which businesses pleased or peeved Santa in 2020? December 21, 2020 Which businesses stood out this year for going above and beyond for customers and staff, and which will be remembered less favourably for their pandemic policies? The last year has certainly been one that will not be forgotten. The last 12 months have been widely been touted “the worst ever” by people around the world, [...]
Primark refuses to pay rent bill amid coronavirus crisis March 25, 2020 Budget retailer Primark has today reportedly refused to pay its rent bill after closing all of its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, as fears mount that some retailers will never reopen after the outbreak. Primark has written to landlords to tell them it would not meet its quarterly rent payment due on 110 leasehold [...]
Sainsbury’s signs wholesale deal with Australia’s Coles November 11, 2019 Sainsbury’s has agreed a deal to provide Australian supermarket Coles with own-brand products as the UK grocery giant seeks to strengthen its wholesale business. The range, which will be labelled under the Coles brand, will include packaged groceries and household products. Read more: Sainsbury’s half-year profits slide Through the deal, Sainsbury’s will also analyse which [...]
Coronavirus: Supermarkets urge customers to stop stockpiling March 15, 2020 UK supermarkets have called on the UK public to stop stockpiling in response to coronavirus as fears mount that some people could be left without essential products. In an open letter to customers, the country’s biggest food retailers, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco Asda and Morrisons, called on consumers to “be considerate in the way they shop” [...]
From protein to plastics – EU funding continues to flow (for now) August 21, 2020 Portugal’s off the list. Croatia’s on the list. Spain and France have been on the list for a while. As far as Europe is concerned, the headlines are dominated by the latest quarantine rules for people returning to Britain from holiday hotspots. It’s tough to keep track of the changing rules and timings. On a [...]
Budget 2020: Business rates cut for more small leisure and retail firms March 11, 2020 Small retail, leisure and hospitality businesses will be exempt from paying business rates for one year as part of an emergency budget to protect the economy from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. All retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be exempt from paying business rates over [...]
Silver linings: Positive investment trends for stock market optimists March 24, 2020 Stocks investors are likely to be feeling battered and bruised at the moment. The coronavirus-induced bear market has seen share prices fall sharply — even the UK’s blue-chip FTSE 100 index is down more than 30 per cent since the start of the year. Many industries are facing hurdles due to the government’s self-isolation guidelines, [...]
Christmas supermarket sales growth slows to four-year low January 7, 2020 Supermarket sales growth over the Christmas period slowed to the lowest rate in four years as shoppers watched their budgets over the festive period. Retailers reported sales of £29.3bn, up £50m on last year, however growth slumped to the lowest rate since 2015. Read more: Morrisons sales fall in ‘unusually challenging Christmas period’ Year-on-year supermarket [...]
Opinion: Supermarkets look a good bet April 20, 2020 The received wisdom at present is that UK property capital markets have pretty much gone into suspended animation in the face of the pandemic, but this certainly isn’t the case in the grocery-led sector. There are currently seven substantial supermarket transactions totalling around £205m which are either under offer or due to imminently complete. And [...]