Ocado shares fall after John Lewis pension fund sells out February 11, 2011 Retailer John Lewis’s pension trust has sold its stake of about 10 per cent in online grocer Ocado – sending its shares down 17 per cent. Ocado, whose shares have climbed sharply in recent weeks, said the sale would not affect its commercial relations with upmarket grocer Waitrose, a John Lewis unit. Ocado mainly sells [...]
John Lewis in growth plan as profit lifts March 9, 2011 THE chairman of the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) yesterday said he planned to more than double the size of the company in the next ten years as the retailer unveiled bumper results. John Lewis saw profits rise by 20 per cent to £367.9m last year. Like-for-like sales across the John Lewis Group – which includes [...]
Supermarket sales slowing as shoppers rein in spending March 1, 2011 SALES growth at grocers slowed in February, despite higher prices, according to market research published yesterday, adding to signs of growing caution among consumers since the start of the year. Kantar Worldpanel said grocery sales rose 3.9 per cent year-on-year in the 12 weeks to 20 February, down from 4.2 per cent growth for the [...]
John Lewis warns over tough trading as sales fall February 4, 2011 John Lewis reported a second consecutive fall in weekly sales at its department stores and warned of tougher trading ahead as shoppers face higher prices, taxes and public spending cuts. However, the employee-owned group, which has long outperformed the broader retail sector, said on Friday it was still budgeting for growth for the year to [...]
John Lewis warns over tough trading as sales fall February 4, 2011 John Lewis reported a second consecutive fall in weekly sales at its department stores and warned of tougher trading ahead as shoppers face higher prices, taxes and public spending cuts. However, the employee-owned group, which has long outperformed the broader retail sector, said on Friday it was still budgeting for growth for the year to [...]
HENDON, LONDON April 14, 2011 DOWNAGE, NEAR PARSON STREET Price: £1.35m This five-bedroomed detached family home stretches across 3,030 sq ft and three floors. It has a landscaped garden, two separate garages and a long driveway with space for more than one car. Contact: Aston Chase on 020 8455 3538 or go to www.astonchase.com TENTERDEN GROVE Price: £699,950 This mews [...]
High street brands popular for legal advice March 15, 2011 WITH the implementation of the “Tesco law” looming, a new report from YouGov into the legal services sector provides positive news for big brands looking to diversify into this sector. It reveals that consumer willingness to seek legal advice from retailers or high street brands is high; 60 per cent of consumers would consider using [...]
Ocado lifted by upgrade March 1, 2011 OCADO shares were boosted yesterday after broker Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the shares. The stock has fallen by almost a quarter since 11 February, when Goldman – Ocado’s house broker – placed ten per cent of the company’s shares at 265p each. Goldman raised its rating on the online delivery company from “hold” [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS March 29, 2011 CELEBRATE THE ROYAL WEDDING WITH AN ENORMOUS HESTON TRIFLE In case you were worried about what to feed your guests at your royal wedding party (and who isn’t? Honestly) – Waitrose has swept to the rescue with a cake, “created” by Heston Blumenthal and big enough to feed 10 people. The Royal Trifle (pictured below) [...]
John Lewis sales stall again February 18, 2011 John Lewis JLP.UL posted a fourth consecutive week of lacklustre sales, adding to evidence consumers are cutting back on spending in the face of macro economic headwinds. The employee-owned group, which has been outperforming the broader retail sector for over a year, said on Friday sales at its department stores increased 1.4 per cent to [...]