Sainsbury’s Asda merger makes Mayfair live worse for more after delivering £140m blow April 30, 2018 Some of Mayfair’s best-known hedge funds were today delivered a blow by Sainsbury’s as shares in the supermarket giant surged following a weekend confirmation it was holding merger talks with rival Asda. Along with other retailers, the grocer is one of Britain’s most heavily shorted stocks. Some 14.55 per cent of Sainsbury’s share capital is [...]
Listen up: Sideways 6 helps you hear your staff’s great ideas November 19, 2018 There are lots of reasons you might not be happy with your job. Maybe you don’t like the work itself, or your colleagues? Perhaps the requests of your clients (or your manager) are too demanding? But even if you like your job, it could be that you don’t feel respected – maybe your bosses aren’t [...]
Craft beer brand Brewdog is trying to mature after a tough year of marketing disasters October 22, 2018 It’s been a tough year for Brewdog, much of it the brand’s own fault. Tone-deaf advertising campaigns and PR mishaps have frustrated its fans and “equity punk” investors (I speak from personal experience – I’ve been a shareholder since 2015). The Scottish craft beer brewer, founded in 2007, is as well known for its marketing stunts as [...]
Sainsbury’s trials London grocery delivery on electric cargo bikes April 19, 2018 Sainsbury’s is trialling a new delivery method in south London this week, as the supermarket looks at new ways to get groceries to customers’ doors. Delivery riders are taking up to 100 orders a day through the streets on electric cargo bikes. The idea is to increase efficiency when delivering groceries by using cycle lanes [...]
Majestic Wine reveal solid FY figures, but outlook is cautious June 14, 2018 Majestic Wine revealed solid full-year figures this morning, but issued a cautious outlook. Revenue rose by 2.3% to £476.1 million, broadly in line with estimates. Pre-tax profits jumped by 33% to £17.2 million, meeting analysts’ forecasts. The total dividend was increased by 40% to 7.2p, which comfortably topped the consensus estimate of 5.67p. The wine [...]
Morrisons earnings preview: Grocery chain faces uphill battle amid Asda-Sainsbury’s merger May 7, 2018 Grocery chain Morrisons is set to announce its first quarter trading results on Thursday, and the company may have a lot to prove. Analysts at Barclays forecast sales growth of 1.7 per cent, below the company’s figures for the fourth quarter of 2017. If so, it would be the lowest sales growth since the end [...]
TSB crisis may have sting in the tail, Andy Hornby’s near-miss with the Sainsbury’s-Asda merger and the FA’s trophy buyer May 4, 2018 The System’s Broken. Try Surrendering Bonuses. TSB customers who found themselves locked out of their accounts for parts of the last fortnight might have devised less polite acronyms for the custodian of their savings. Conspiracy theorists about recent banking history might also trace the origins of the current meltdown to an ill-fated decision in 2010 [...]
Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe apologises for singing “we’re in the money” as concerns grow over Asda merger April 30, 2018 Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe was left embarrassed this evening as he was caught on camera singing “We’re in the Money”, on the day the supermarket announced details of a merger with Walmart-owned Asda. Coupe’s little ditty came as unions and MPs raised concerns that the deal could result in job losses and a squeeze on [...]
Sainsbury’s Asda merger facing review by the Competition and Markets Authority April 30, 2018 Sainsbury’s proposed merger with Asda is “likely to be subject to review”, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed this morning. Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe said this morning that the supermarket has asked the CMA to fast-track the deal to a phase two in-depth probe, and expects the watchdog will be minded to keep [...]
Another Sainsbury’s shareholder says Asda deal “makes a lot of sense” May 3, 2018 Another Sainsbury’s shareholder has said that the proposed merger with Asda “makes a lot of sense”. Jason Doctor at Pzena Investment Management, which owns around three per cent of the supermarket’s issued shares, told City A.M. it could benefit the Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Argos brands. “The deal itself really makes a lot of sense, it’s [...]