M&S workers seek unionisation after pay changes and job cuts September 6, 2016 The shopworker's union Usdaw has said it is willing to go through the courts to become recognised as the official union of Marks and Spencer's employees. M&S recently announced it would be cutting premium pay for workers on Sundays and bank holidays, and reducing pension contributions. Usdaw told City A.M. it is happy to "go down the statute route" for official recognition [...]
What heatwave? M&S is already filming its Christmas advert August 7, 2016 It may be a sweltering weekend of sunshine and clear blue skies, but one street in London has already seen snowfall – albeit the fake kind – after one high street favourite started shooting its Christmas advert. Yep, you heard that right. It may be the height of summer, but the Marks & Spencer is getting [...]
EU referendum: Former executive chairman of Marks & Spencer and Conservative peer Lord Rose to lead pro-EU campaign October 10, 2015 Former chief executive of Marks & Spencer Lord Stuart Rose is to lead a campaign for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union. The Conservative peer and businessman has been announced as chairman of an "In" campaign group, warning that leaving the union would be a "leap into the unknown". Read more: Vote Leave [...]
Petition to block M&S’ pay cut plans draws over 20,000 signatures in three days July 29, 2016 Pressure is mounting on M&S' chief executive Steve Rowe to cancel a pay cut for his staff as an online petition to block the plan has received nearly 20,000 signatures in three days. The company is consulting its staff over cutting premium pay on Sundays, and cuts to pay for bank holidays and employees working at anti-social hours, which could [...]
Pay row: M&S accused of threatening to sack staff who reject new contracts July 12, 2016 Marks & Spencer has become embroiled in a dispute over staff pay as it grapples with a sales slide in its clothing division. Chief executive Steve Rowe told shareholders at yesterday's AGM that the retailer faces "tough decisions" in the coming months. M&S is consulting staff over the axing of premium pay on Sundays, and cuts [...]
A tale of two retail sectors: Shares in fashion retailers fall as supermarkets jump September 15, 2016 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in the retail sector today, as shares in retailers led both the risers and the fallers in the FTSE 100. Firmly in the spring of hope was the supermarket sector, where Morrisons led the risers, with shares jumping 7.13 per cent to 207.4p in [...]
British Gas customer login data leaked in third personal data incident in a week after TalkTalk cyber attack and Marks & Spencer technical glitch October 29, 2015 The account details of as many as 2,000 customers of British Gas have been leaked online, in the third high-profile personal data leak in less than a week. Email addresses and passwords to login to British Gas accounts were posted on the text upload website Pastebin, but the company believes the information leak was not as a result of [...]
Marks & Spencer’s share price tumbles as womenswear boss Frances Russell leaves August 13, 2015 Marks & Spencer's share price has fallen by almost two per cent this morning on the news of yet another shake-up at the troubled high street chain that will see its womenswear boss Frances Russell step down. Russell, who has led the womenswear business for three years, will be replaced by M&S’s lingerie boss [...]
Meet the Edmond de Rothschild asset manager who launched a UK-focused fund just before the referendum (and doesn’t regret it) November 27, 2016 With the European Union referendum just two months away, April 2016 may have seemed like a bold time for a European asset manager to launch a new fund focusing exclusively on the UK – even if it looked like we were headed for a Remain vote. Shares in companies such as ITV, BT, and Marks [...]
Why it’s time to stop drinking prosecco November 10, 2016 Three years ago, when I was just starting out with this column, I boldly predicted the rise of prosecco in the hearts of the British quaffing classes. And oh how it has turned out to be true. Clever marketing, combined with the British love of cheap fizz, has propelled prosecco relentlessly up the wine charts. [...]