Britain’s 20 most attractive employers are … John Lewis, BMW, British Airways April 8, 2015 We spend the vast majority of our waking lives at work. And yet so many of us grumble about where we work, spend our lives worrying about job security and sometimes end up dedicating our evenings and weekends to getting the job done too. So it might be worth taking note of a new survey [...]
Simba Sleep’s James Cox talks firmness, pet names and the importance of conical springs in mattresses June 13, 2016 Within minutes of meeting James Cox, co-founder of innovative mattress company Simba Sleep, I’m drawing a diagram of his product – or my interpretation of it as he whizzes through its composition. Rather than the traditional springs or trendy memory foam, Simba’s mattress is a layer cake of unique ID foam, some memory and a conical [...]
Ad agencies need better advertising: 101’s Laurence Green on why positioning should be more important than pitching June 20, 2016 Our industry conversation has swung too far from long-term to short, from strategy to tactics, and away from the alchemical power of great creative,” says Laurence Green, founder of creative agency 101. He has been critical in the past of the fact that pitching has become the default method for procuring agencies’ services. And he believes [...]
Analysts applaud Dave Lewis’ efforts to turn around Tesco October 5, 2016 Tesco posted a 0.6 per cent increase in UK like-for-like sales this morning and analysts have been reacting well to chief executive Dave Lewis' efforts to revive the embattled retailer. And the market seems to agree with them, with the retailer's share price jumping nine per cent in early morning trading. Lewis has been managing [...]
Debenhams’s share price rises as chief executive Michael Sharp formally resigns – but there’s no sign of a successor just yet April 14, 2016 Debenhams' share price climbed 3.4 per cent this morning as it revealed half-year growth while confirming it is "well advanced" in finding a new chief executive. Michael Sharp today submitted his resignation to the board, Debenhams said. It was originally announced that he planned to step down in October last year, but today's move takes that process [...]
Silverstone owners threaten to drop British Grand Prix January 5, 2017 Silverstone's management is threatening to drop the British Grand Prix because of spiralling costs of running it. John Grant, chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), owners of the racing track, has written to members warning of the "potentially ruinous risk" of hosting the loss-making event. In a letter, seen by ITV, Grant said he wanted to "preserve [...]
Sainsbury’s expected to ask for more time over Home Retail Group bid as Christo Wiese’s Steinhoff International joins the party February 21, 2016 Sainsbury’s is expected to ask for an extension to tomorrow’s deadline for making a firm offer for Home Retail Group after a South African retail conglomerate waded in at the eleventh hour with a higher offer. The supermarket chain revealed earlier this month that it had reached an agreement with Home Retail over a possible cash [...]
John Lewis Partnership slashes bonus as Waitrose profits fall March 12, 2015 The John Lewis Partnership, known for its generous staff incentives, has slashed the bonus payout to its partners after a hit on profits at its upmarket grocery chain Waitrose. Staff will receive a bonus of 11 per cent of their annual salary, down from last year's 15 per cent – the third annual decline in a row. [...]
Deutsche Bank’s chief risk officer hits back and explains the real derivatives exposure October 9, 2016 Fears over Deutsche Bank's mammoth derivative exposure have been completely overblown according to its chief risk officer. Stuart Lewis got on the front foot when asked about the beleaguered German lender's derivative exposure this weekend. "The risks in our derivatives book are massively overestimated. The €46 trillion (£41 trillion) figure sounds gigantic, but it is completely misleading. The real risk is far [...]
John Lewis Partnership poised to reduce bonus payout to staff March 9, 2015 THE JOHN Lewis Partnership will this week seek to cut its bonus pot for staff for a second year in a row after the supermarket price war took its toll on sales at its upmarket grocery chain Waitrose. Waitrose has grown sales and market share faster than its traditional supermarket rivals in recent years, thanks [...]