FTSE 100 closes lower as global markets struggle with trade war fears April 6, 2018 The FTSE closed in the red today, as fears of a trade war continued to take their toll on markets around the world and US jobs data disappointed. The FTSE 100 index was down over 15 points at 7,183.64, coming off a low of 7,163.11 earlier in the day. Data on UK productivity this morning [...]
Waitrose sets out £1bn online shopping plan as it prepares for life without Ocado May 16, 2019 Waitrose has revealed a £1bn plan to bolster its online operations today as it prepares for life without Ocado. The upmarket grocer has signed a deal with Today Development Partners (TDP) in a bid to treble the size of its online business over the next three years, as its 20-year relationship with delivery giant Ocado nears its [...]
Whatever the weather, Next sticks to its guns May 11, 2018 Predicting the weather is notoriously fraught with difficulty, but predicting that retailers will blame the weather for bad performance is a sure thing. Whether it’s too rainy, too snowy or even too sunny, high street operators are renowned for finding a way to pin their poor performance on something other than their own actions. The [...]
FTSE 100 tumbles as trade war heats up and Brexit approaches August 5, 2019 Britain’s FTSE 100 stock index has tumbled 1.9 per cent as an escalation of trade tensions and the growing likelihood of a no-deal Brexit cause investors to sell UK shares and buy safer assets. Read more: Markets in turmoil as Chinese currency falls to financial crisis levels The sell-off of British equities sent investors towards [...]
M&S joins the battle against rising high street rents May 24, 2018 Marks & Spencer’s top team yesterday joined calls for landlords to give retailers fairer rents, as it revealed a massive drop in profits. The company reported that pre-tax profits were down 62 per cent in 2017, mostly as a result of its store closure programme. Chief executive Steve Rowe said in a presentation he had [...]
The GKN break-up is a test for Melrose, don’t bank on a tax cut and Marc Bolland is not just any NED June 29, 2018 Vultures. Asset-strippers. Corporate predators. The board of Melrose has had these perjorative labels and more thrown at it in the months since its initial bid approach for GKN. This week’s approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States of the £8bn takeover removed the final obstacle to a deal that elicited greater [...]
World Cup 2018: Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane the biggest winners as England’s run in Russia boosts commercial appeal of key figures | City A.M. July 16, 2018 Even in defeat, there was an undeniable feel-good factor around England at the World Cup. Gareth Southgate and his team worked hard to cast aside the negativity of previous major tournaments and reach a first semi-final since 1990. And while their on-field exploits have seen them hailed as heroes, they could also lead to off-field [...]
Dixons Carphone’s share price falls nearly 20 per cent on back of profit warning May 29, 2018 Dixons Carphone’s share price fell nearly 20 per cent this morning as the electronics giant warned profit will be 21 per cent lower this year than last year. In a trading update the retailer said pre-tax profits for 2017-18 would be £382m, down from £501m last year. The following year’s profit is expected to be [...]
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 [...]
Alex Jones, brand safety, and the issue of how brands can protect themselves in a murky online world September 17, 2018 To paraphrase Game of Thrones, the internet is dark and full of terrors. We’re all aware of issues on the web: the proliferation of hate speech, fake news, offensive content, easy access to pornography or violent images, even terrorist propaganda. For individuals wanting to safely navigate the online world, it’s easy to avoid the darker [...]