Consumer group warns shoppers could be ripped off by supermarket deals August 28, 2019 Shoppers are at risk of being ripped off, a consumer watchdog has warned, after an investigation uncovered misleading discounts and special offers at major UK supermarkets. The probe revealed that some supermarkets offer multi-buy deals that cost more, discounts that refer to a price that is not the most recent and offers in which items [...]
Firefighters put out blaze at another Ocado warehouse August 22, 2019 Firefighters were called to put out a small fire at an Ocado warehouse last night, just months after a fire at one of its flagship sites caused nearly £100m in damage. A waste packaging container caught fire, the company said in a statement this morning. Read more: Losses deepen as Ocado reveals cost of Andover [...]
Sainsbury’s shares lifted by strong performance but hottest day fails to revive flagging grocery sales August 20, 2019 Sainsbury’s led FTSE 100 risers this morning following the news the supermarket had put in its strongest performance since November 2017. The supermarket put in the strongest performance of all the big four grocers, but still saw its market share slip 0.6 per cent over the past 12 weeks, according to Kantar data released this [...]
Ocado reveals fire-fighting robot after robot factory blaze August 8, 2019 Online supermarket Ocado has filed a patent for a fire-fighting robot as the grocer seeks to improve fire safety at its distribution hubs. The design will allow the device to work within the grid system at the firm’s robotics distribution centres and will include a spraying mechanism to put out fires. Read more: Ocado bags [...]
Tesco Metro prepares to slash 4,500 jobs August 5, 2019 Tesco is set to slash around 4,500 jobs across all of its 153 Metro stores, the company announced today as it battles with a tough retail environment. The cutbacks will reduce processes and administrative tasks across the stores, it said. Read more: Ocado and M&S share prices drop as they complete £750m online delivery deal [...]
Ocado and M&S share prices drop as they complete £750m online delivery deal August 5, 2019 Investors battered Ocado and Marks & Spencer’s shares this morning as the supermarkets finalised details of a £1.25bn partnership. M&S’s share price fell 4.5 per cent while Ocado’s share price dropped as much as 4.4 per cent as M&S completed the £750m purchase of a 50 per cent stake in Ocado’s online delivery platform. Read [...]
Co-op follows in footsteps of Amazon Go with ‘pay-in-aisle’ service July 31, 2019 The Co-op is trialling a new ‘pay-in-aisle’ plan that will allow customers to scan and buy for their products as they shop. The supermarket chain has teamed up with payment software firm ACI Worldwide to bring in the new system across 30 Co-op food stores in England, Scotland and Wales by early next month. Customers [...]
Ocado bags sales jump amid decline in supermarket sector July 23, 2019 Ocado has posted a double-digit rise in sales over the last quarter as it defied an overall decline in the supermarket sector. The online retailer boosted its sales by 11.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to 14 July, stealing a larger chunk of the competitive grocery market. Read more: Sainsbury’s sales slip in ‘tough’ [...]
Walthamstow fire: 100 firefighters battle shopping centre blaze July 22, 2019 A blaze engulfed the roof of a shopping centre in Walthamstow this morning, with 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters tackling the fire. Witnesses posted pictures of the fire spreading at The Mall in Walthamstow, east London, today, with part of the shopping centre’s roof having caught alight. Read more: Waterloo station fire to cause [...]
DEBATE: Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? July 22, 2019 Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? Ben Askins, managing director at Verb Brands, says YES. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you, I was on the Tube” is an anecdote that our grandchildren will be shocked by. While it’s true that no one will be able to stop the incoming onslaught [...]