Tesco’s share price climbs as it stems declines but Asda and Morrisons crowned worst performing supermarkets in the UK March 8, 2016 Tesco has continued to stem its declines, but Asda and Morrisons have tumbled further, according to Kantar Worldpanel's latest figures for the supermarket sector. Sales at Tesco fell 0.8 per cent – meaning its performance is still well below the sector average of 0.5 per cent growth – but a relative improvement on last month's decline of [...]
Sainsbury’s beats forecasts on results, but profits and sales still slide as Mike Coupe warns of tough road ahead May 4, 2016 Sainsbury's share price fell this morning as full year profits came in ahead of analyst forecasts – but still show a hefty year-on-year decline as the price wars continue to take their toll. The figures The supermarket reported group sales of £25.8bn for the 12 months to 12 March – down 1.1 per cent on the same period last [...]
The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography at the Tate Modern review: Elton John’s personal photography collection is astonishing November 11, 2016 In a moment of irony at this exhibition of Elton John’s personal photography collection, a security guard berated a woman for taking a picture on her iPhone. It was a neat reminder of how saturated and disposable this medium has become in the 21st century, clogging up social media feeds, propped up by technology that [...]
Crown Estate chairman Sir Stuart Hampson steps down February 1, 2016 Sir Stuart Hampson has announced plans to step down as chairman of The Crown Estate, one of the UK's biggest landlords, after six years in the role. Hampson, a former civil servant and chairman of John Lewis for 14 years, took responsibility for the Crown Estate in 2010 during a difficult year, when its portfolio lost value [...]
Christmas adverts 2015: Sainsbury’s is feline festive with Mog the Cat campaign and charity tie up with Save the Children and HarperCollins November 12, 2015 If John Lewis' Christmas ad didn't do it for you, perhaps Sainsbury's will be more your cup of tea. The supermarket, which last year came out of nowhere with its tear-jerker themed around the First World War, could be about to convincingly steal John Lewis' crown. Because Sainsbury's has gone all-out for 2015, securing beloved [...]
Death of the high street? Don’t be so sure – bricks and mortar shopping still matters February 15, 2016 The ‘death of the high street’ has been a favoured headline for years now, but is yet to actually materialise. Online is certainly growing – on that we can all agree – but we shouldn’t be too hasty in declaring that this is at the expense of everything else. Indeed, new data today from the British Retail [...]
Should you invest in crowdfunding? June 1, 2016 From craft beer to knitting and films, crowdfunding allows you to invest in the things which matter to you. It’s grown massively in the last five years and revolutionised the possibilities for start-up businesses. Rather than rely on friends for their generosity, or wait months for a bank to say no to a loan, entrepreneurs have [...]
From BHS and John Lewis to TSB and the Apple Watch: What got us talking this week? March 13, 2015 Jeremy Clarkson punched a man over a steak. Blurred Lines went from being the song with questionable gender politics to being a Marvin Gaye rip-off. And somewhere above our heads, a pilot got bored and drew rude pictures using GPS flight data. Here is what got us talking at City A.M. 1. After 15 [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: An interactive guide to the best deals, the history of the sales bonanza, whether it’s good for business – plus Cyber Monday November 27, 2015 The 2015 incarnation of Black Friday is set to be the UK’s biggest ever shopping day with some estimates suggesting almost £2bn will be spent on deals, sales and offers at the country’s biggest retail stores – both online and on the high streets. But what is it all about, why does it matter for [...]
What are the best companies to work for in the UK? Expedia, Hays and AKQA triumph ahead of Google and Goldman Sachs December 9, 2015 Move over Google. Its treats such as slides, sleep pods and snacks have failed to win over staff, and the mighty tech company has been toppled from its perch as the best company to work for in the UK while home grown firms climbed ahead. Flying to the top spot from number 25 last year was online travel [...]