Food delivered from upmarket grocer had shortest shelf life of its UK rivals, Which? study showsWaitrose has been rated Britain’s worst large online retailer for grocery freshness, according to research.The consumer group Which? investigated the qualit…
UK food firms beg ministers to let them use prisoners to ease labour shortages
Meat processors and others say they must have more day release workers as they cannot find enough staffDesperate food manufacturers are pleading with the government to be able to call upon prisoners to solve a labour crisis blamed on the double blow of…
Sainsbury’s could be next in line for private equity interest
With Morrisons already in a bidding war, UK supermarkets are attracting returns-hungry investorsSainsbury’s could be on the shopping list of private equity outfits as the race to buy Morrisons highlights the attractiveness of the big supermarket chains…
Ocado drivers ‘paid less than £5 an hour’
Workers on rapid delivery service see pay slashed as company’s profits skyrocketDrivers delivering groceries for Ocado are earning less than the minimum wage, the Observer can reveal.The drivers, who deliver orders for the online retailer’s rapid deliv…
Forget shops: how Stockton on Tees ripped up the rule book to revive its high street
Stockton-on-Tees is leading a radical rethink of our urban centres, which is now even more urgent as Covid takes its tollA few months before the pandemic struck, Nigel Cooke found himself under incredulous interrogation at a Local Government Associatio…
Retailers warn of more stock shortages after sales fall
Industry faces mounting problems as Covid and Brexit pressures continue, says retail expertCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetailers are warning of further disruption on Britain’s high streets from shortages of stock caused …
Morrisons shares driven up as investors bet on bidding war
Analysis: private equity rivals Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Fortress are leapfrogging each otherMorrisons shares have surged again as investors bet the £7bn price tag on the company could go higher still amid a private equity bidding war for contr…
Morrisons strikes £7bn takeover deal with US private equity group
Supermarket chain accepts improved offer of 285p per share from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice amid bidding warMorrisons has agreed a £7bn takeover by the US private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the latest round in a fierce fight for cont…
Adidas sells Reebok to US conglomerate after shareholder pressure
Sportswear brand sold at a huge loss to Authentic Brands Management after failing to take on rival NikeAdidas is selling Reebok to the US brand management company Authentic Brands Group for up to €2.1bn (£1.8bn), as the German sportswear firm concentra…
Warehouses: the latest boom in the UK real estate sector
A record-breaking area almost twice the size of Hyde Park is slated for construction this yearThe UK is in the midst of a record-breaking boom in the construction of cavernous sheds to support the soaring growth of online shopping during the pandemic, …