Suits you: Supermarket fashion is turning heads in the UK October 24, 2017 Cheap? Check. Convenience? Check. Choice? Check. Sainsbury’s launched a rival to Savile Row in outlets this week, giving shoppers a chance to buy suits with their weekly shop. The move is a classic example of how wafer-thin margins and the dog fight for market share is forcing supermarkets to turn towards different revenue streams – [...]
Supermarket wars: Sainsbury’s move to eat rivals’ lunches could turn sour September 28, 2016 British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s recently changed the terms of its lunchtime meal deal offering – much to the dismay of many customers. It decided to remove its more expensive “taste the difference” sandwiches from the deal, and has rebranded the lunchtime option to “on the go”. The move was met with bewilderment on social media [...]
Automation is evolution, not a class war January 26, 2018 I suffer the great misfortune of living near a busy Tesco Express store, which, absent of self-service checkouts, often makes the innocuous task of buying eggs feel like a test of one’s self-restraint. While waiting for the two portraits of human inefficiency behind the till to serve 20 shoppers, glancing at my phone, I read [...]
Wetherspoon’s releases Brexit beer mats… again November 1, 2017 JD Wetherspoon has today placed 500,000 new beer mats in its pubs, in an effort to persuade punters unilateral free trade is the best approach for the UK post-Brexit. Founder and chairman Tim Martin argued last month that unilateral free trade will reduce food and drink prices in the UK, allowing Wetherspoon's to make its [...]
Just Eat faces a tall order – it needs to keep delivering for its investors if it’s to be number one in the £9.9bn takeaway sector December 1, 2017 Just Eat delivered more than just takeaways last month. It not only set a new Guinness world record for the largest human image of a pizza but also received the green light to gobble up rival Hungryhouse. But the cherry on the cake for Just Eat was joining the FTSE 100 this week with a [...]
Battle of the sarnies: From Tesco to Benugo, which Christmas sandwich will come top of our list this year, and which one was literally inedible? November 15, 2017 We set off into the City to gather festive sandwiches from supermarkets and fast food chains far and wide to see which of them is worthy of Santa himself, and which were a nightmare before Christmas. Eat Turkey and cranberry sandwich ★★★☆☆ Tastes alright, but nothing to write to Santa about. Solid fillings, pleasantly sweet [...]
Editor’s Notes: Predictions are for fools, but here are a few to mull over, may the bitcoin ride continue in 2018 and the best statistic of the year December 22, 2017 Winston Churchill once said “I always avoid prophesying beforehand because it is much better to prophesy after the event has already taken place.” Wise words, which were roundly ignored at a City lunch this week where we went around the table to offer our predictions for 2018. Contributions ranged from the sensible to the more [...]
Patisserie Valerie’s parent company is hungry for acquisitions, says chairman Luke Johnson November 27, 2017 Luke Johnson, the casual dining sector veteran and executive chairman of Patisserie Holdings, has told City A.M. that his business is currently hungry for acquisitions. Patisserie Holdings, which owns cafe chains Patisserie Valerie, Druckers, Philpotts, Baker & Spice and Flour Power City, revealed in results today that it had £21m of cash on its balance [...]
Blue Satellite headphones review: Great sound, but these cans will leave you feeling Blue December 20, 2017 Beginning life as a manufacturer of high-end equipment for audio professionals, Blue has been tentatively easing its way towards the lucrative consumer market for some time. Its new Satellite headphones are its most high street-friendly pair yet, but it still has some way to go to bridge the gap between studio and sidewalk. Compared [...]
McColl’s founder approached by buyout house Carlyle to lead Palmer & Harvey rescue September 26, 2017 Private equity firm The Carlyle Group has invited a co-founder of convenience store McColl’s to take a key role in its rumoured buyout of Palmer & Harvey (P&H), according to Sky News. James Lancaster is reportedly being drafted in to join the grocery wholesaler as its non-executive chairman, in a deal aimed to salvage the [...]