Bother: The startup looking to disrupt the grocery market October 30, 2020 The days of empty shelves and loo roll shortages seem a distant lockdown memory, but one London-based startup thinks it speaks to a wider problem within the UK’s grocery market. Startup Bother is on a mission to disrupt the saturated grocery market by offering what it considers to be a convenient and cheaper online alternative. [...]
Sainsbury’s Christmas sales slip despite online boost January 8, 2020 Sainsbury’s suffered the biggest drop in Christmas sales of general merchandise since it bought Argos in 2016, as consumer demand for toys and games weakened. General merchandise sales, which includes Argos, dropped 3.9 per cent in the 15 weeks to 4 January, driving a 0.7 per cent decline in total retail sales excluding fuel. However, [...]
15 incredible Londoners in the New Year’s Honours List January 2, 2021 In a list that was largely dominated by health staff and civil servants this year, Christopher Woolard, who served as interim Chief Exec of the FCA in 2020, became a Commander of the British Empire, while Kate Nicholls, a vocal advocate for the hospitality industry throughout this terrible year for bars, pubs and restaurants, received [...]
Fuel prices rise in January despite wholesale price drop February 5, 2020 Despite hefty falls in diesel and unleaded wholesale prices in January, the UK’s four largest supermarkets increased fuel prices every day until a last-gasp cut on 29 January. The drop in wholesale prices, which saw unleaded fall 4p and diesel 7.5p, should have been good news for UK drivers, but prices at supermarkets increased £1.51p [...]
Lidl ramps up expansion plan with 230 new stores November 10, 2019 Lidl’s expansion spree is set to accelerate, with the German discounter planning 230 extra store openings. The new store plan, first reported today in the Sunday Times, is the latest in a string of bullish moves from Lidl and Aldi, which have been snapping up an increasing share of the grocery market. In a bid [...]
Few get to choose their manner of exit October 2, 2019 At least one of the corporate titans to announce their departure yesterday had been thinking about it for some time. Martin Gilbert told this newspaper nearly a year ago that picking the moment for a smooth exit is tough. “When things are going well,” he said, “you don’t want to leave — and when they’re [...]
Amazon strengthens dominance of UK e-commerce market December 10, 2019 Online retail giant Amazon increased its dominance of the UK e-commerce market this year, according to the latest research. Amazon boosted its market share from 28.8 per cent in 2018 to 30.1 per cent this year, accounting for $30bn in sales. Read more: Amazon nets Champions League rights The next largest player in the UK, [...]
UK grocery sales surge at record level after two months of lockdown May 27, 2020 UK grocery sales rose 14.3 per cent during the 12 weeks to 17 May, the fastest rate since comparable records began in 1994, as Britons adapted to the national lockdown, data from market researcher Kantar showed today. The UK has been in lockdown since 23 March though restrictions are being gradually eased. Of Britain’s big [...]
Ocado retains crown as Britain’s fastest-growing supermarket February 4, 2020 Ocado has retained its position as Britain’s fastest growing supermarket, with the online grocer achieving its quickest growth in the North of England. Ocado’s overall sales grew 11.2 per cent year-on-year during the quarter, with its market share rising 0.2 percentage points, according to data from Kantar. While over half of the grocer’s sales come [...]
Can interest rate cuts help economies deal with coronavirus? March 8, 2020 Last Tuesday, the coronavirus outbreak drove the US Federal Reserve to do something it hadn’t done since the 2008 financial crisis: slash interest rates in an emergency move. Fed chair Jay Powell said rate-setters had “come to the view that it is time for us to act in the support of the economy”. The economic [...]