Sainsbury's to boost Scots jobs

Sainsbury's has announced plans to expand in Scotland, creating 1,300 jobs by next summer.

The new posts will be created through new stores at Strathaven in Lanarkshire and Prestwick, in Ayrshire, and the extension of existing shops.

Sainsbury's also said the move would give Scottish suppliers more opportunities to sell their produce.

Sainsbury's has embarked on a nationwide expansion Supermarket giant

The announcement came amid a drive by the company to open 150 convenience stores by 2010-11.

read full article at recession2009 - Food

Obiturtary of the high street and other companies - UPDATED

Please follow the link to see updated list of high street and companies that have gone in administration since January 2008

Obituary of the high street and other companies

Obiturtary of the high street and other companies - UPDATED

Please follow the link to see updated list of high street and companies that have gone in administration since January 2008

Obituary of the high street and other companies

NEW blog in development

[caption id="attachment_571" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="allaboutgrub"][/caption]

Hi all, I have been developing a new blog please come and visit it

allaboutgrub.wordpress.com

 - this blog is all about food, ingredients and where to buy good quality food from - add a marker to my allaboutgrub map to tell others about great places to eat out or places to buy great food from -

"go on share your food experiences with others" 

NEW blog in development

[caption id="attachment_571" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="allaboutgrub"][/caption]

Hi all, I have been developing a new blog please come and visit it

allaboutgrub.wordpress.com

 - this blog is all about food, ingredients and where to buy good quality food from - add a marker to my allaboutgrub map to tell others about great places to eat out or places to buy great food from -

"go on share your food experiences with others" 

Good Bye Woolworth or is it

Woolworths to be reborn on the internet after buy-out by web retailer Shop Direct

High street brand Woolworths is to be relaunched as an online store after the name was today bought by the UK's biggest internet and home shopping retailer.

Shop Direct - which also owns brands such as the Littlewoods catalogue - plans to launch Woolworths online in the summer following the deal to buy the brand for an undisclosed sum.

End of an era: Woolworths stores across the country had closing down sales in January

The move brings the famous brand under the control of Sir David and Frederick Barclay, whose interests also include the Telegraph newspaper group.

Woolworths was forced into administration late last year after plunging sales and mounting debts, costing 27,000 jobs. The last of its 807 stores closed in January.

But Shop Direct, which has also bought Woolworths' childrenswear brand Ladybird, said it was confident that the store would "stay at the heart of British retailing" as an online presence.

Chief executive Mark Newton-Jones said: 'Woolworths is a much-loved brand that engenders huge affection among British consumers and is an important part of the country's retail heritage.'

Woolworths first opened its doors in the UK 100 years ago this year. The move would revive the brand for future generations, Mr Newton-Jones added.

Details of the new product ranges to be offered will be announced in the next few months, the company said.

Shop Direct employs around 10,500 people and has around five million customers. Its other well-known catalogue brands include Kays and Marshall Ward.

Woolworths appointed Deloitte as administrators in November after efforts to rescue the business failed. Deloitte was unable to find a buyer for the firm and launched a closing-down sale in December.

sourced from The Daily Mail

Woolworths re-born on internet

Woolworths re-born on internet

The high street chain Woolworths is to be relaunched as an online retailer. The company's last stores shut down in January but now it has been bought by the owners of the Daily Telegraph, Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. Chief executive of Shop Direct, Mark Newton-Jones, discusses why it is worth saving.

Good Bye Woolworth or is it

Woolworths to be reborn on the internet after buy-out by web retailer Shop Direct

High street brand Woolworths is to be relaunched as an online store after the name was today bought by the UK's biggest internet and home shopping retailer.

Shop Direct - which also owns brands such as the Littlewoods catalogue - plans to launch Woolworths online in the summer following the deal to buy the brand for an undisclosed sum.

End of an era: Woolworths stores across the country had closing down sales in January

The move brings the famous brand under the control of Sir David and Frederick Barclay, whose interests also include the Telegraph newspaper group.

Woolworths was forced into administration late last year after plunging sales and mounting debts, costing 27,000 jobs. The last of its 807 stores closed in January.

But Shop Direct, which has also bought Woolworths' childrenswear brand Ladybird, said it was confident that the store would "stay at the heart of British retailing" as an online presence.

Chief executive Mark Newton-Jones said: 'Woolworths is a much-loved brand that engenders huge affection among British consumers and is an important part of the country's retail heritage.'

Woolworths first opened its doors in the UK 100 years ago this year. The move would revive the brand for future generations, Mr Newton-Jones added.

Details of the new product ranges to be offered will be announced in the next few months, the company said.

Shop Direct employs around 10,500 people and has around five million customers. Its other well-known catalogue brands include Kays and Marshall Ward.

Woolworths appointed Deloitte as administrators in November after efforts to rescue the business failed. Deloitte was unable to find a buyer for the firm and launched a closing-down sale in December.

sourced from The Daily Mail

Woolworths re-born on internet

Woolworths re-born on internet

The high street chain Woolworths is to be relaunched as an online retailer. The company's last stores shut down in January but now it has been bought by the owners of the Daily Telegraph, Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. Chief executive of Shop Direct, Mark Newton-Jones, discusses why it is worth saving.

McDonalds to open 1,000 stores this year

[polldaddy poll="1314875"]

McDonald's to open 1,000 stores

McDonald's US sales were up 5% on the year before US fast-food chain McDonald's says it plans to open 1,000 new restaurants this year. The world's largest hamburger chain also said fourth-quarter net income fell 23% to $985.3m (£710m), from $1.27bn a year before. Revenue fell to $5.57bn from $5.75bn, even though global same-store sales rose 7.2%, as the firm was hit by the strong dollar. In the US, the firm raised the price of its Double Cheeseburger in November. Announcing the results, chief executive Jim Skinner said: "For 2009 we plan to invest $2.1bn in capital to open about 1,000 new restaurants and reinvest in our existing locations." Despite beef, cheese, and other ingredients rising in price, the company reported an 8% fall in total operating costs and expenses. McDonald's has seen sales rise in the economic downturn, helped by its low prices and ubiquity of its outlets. In the quarter, its same-store sales in the US rose 5% on the year before. International same-store sales were also ahead, rising 7.6% in Europe and 10% in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa division. sourced from The BBC

McDonald's to open 1,000 new stores

Despite falling short of Wall Street expectations, the burger chain experiences better-than-expected profit and will open 1,000 new restaurants.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- McDonald's Corp. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Monday though revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations due to a stronger U.S. dollar, and its shares fell more than 2%.

The world's largest hamburger chain also said it would open 1,000 restaurants this year.

Fourth-quarter net income fell about 23% to $985.3 million, or 87 cents per share, from $1.27 billion, or $1.06 per share, a year earlier, when results included a large tax-related benefit.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 83 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

sourced from CCN Money read full article

McDonalds to open 1,000 stores this year

[polldaddy poll="1314875"]

McDonald's to open 1,000 stores

McDonald's US sales were up 5% on the year before US fast-food chain McDonald's says it plans to open 1,000 new restaurants this year. The world's largest hamburger chain also said fourth-quarter net income fell 23% to $985.3m (£710m), from $1.27bn a year before. Revenue fell to $5.57bn from $5.75bn, even though global same-store sales rose 7.2%, as the firm was hit by the strong dollar. In the US, the firm raised the price of its Double Cheeseburger in November. Announcing the results, chief executive Jim Skinner said: "For 2009 we plan to invest $2.1bn in capital to open about 1,000 new restaurants and reinvest in our existing locations." Despite beef, cheese, and other ingredients rising in price, the company reported an 8% fall in total operating costs and expenses. McDonald's has seen sales rise in the economic downturn, helped by its low prices and ubiquity of its outlets. In the quarter, its same-store sales in the US rose 5% on the year before. International same-store sales were also ahead, rising 7.6% in Europe and 10% in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa division. sourced from The BBC

McDonald's to open 1,000 new stores

Despite falling short of Wall Street expectations, the burger chain experiences better-than-expected profit and will open 1,000 new restaurants.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- McDonald's Corp. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Monday though revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations due to a stronger U.S. dollar, and its shares fell more than 2%.

The world's largest hamburger chain also said it would open 1,000 restaurants this year.

Fourth-quarter net income fell about 23% to $985.3 million, or 87 cents per share, from $1.27 billion, or $1.06 per share, a year earlier, when results included a large tax-related benefit.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 83 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

sourced from CCN Money read full article

UPDATED: Supermarkets on employment drive

As the Supermarkets go from strength to strength will this have an effect on the downturn. The supermarket go on a big employment drive will this take the sting out of the recession.

But this growth in the supermarkets  will have a down side,  if the supermarkets continue to open new stores (small and large) then the smaller local produce shops will disappear even more than ever.

New jobs created

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Iceland created 2,500 Jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Waitrose create 4,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Sainsbury's create 5,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Tesco create up to 10,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Creating up to 5,000 new jobs"][/caption]

Seasonal Produce

I work for a food manufacture. I think we should start buying seasonal produce, this will halp local producers and local growers. local produce. Why should we be able to buy strawberry's in December, we buy so much food from around the world, do we care about who and how our food is manufactured.

[polldaddy poll="1283004"]

visit full article

Morrisons to create 5,000 new jobs

A Morrisons customer in Tynemouth. The company wants to add 90,000 sq metres of store space in coming years Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Morrisons has pledged to create 5,000 jobs this year, bucking the rise in unemployment as it looks to grow despite the economic downturn.

Britain's fourth-largest supermarket group said this morning that it would create new positions across its chain of stores. The new roles will include working on Morrisons' butchery, fish and bakery counters, said the personnel director, Norman Pickavance, although full details were not available.

"Even in these challenging economic conditions, Morrisons is committed to hiring and training new people to keep retail as the engine room of the economy and support our continuing growth," Pickavance said.

sourced from The Guardian read full article

UPDATED: Supermarkets on employment drive

As the Supermarkets go from strength to strength will this have an effect on the downturn. The supermarket go on a big employment drive will this take the sting out of the recession.

But this growth in the supermarkets  will have a down side,  if the supermarkets continue to open new stores (small and large) then the smaller local produce shops will disappear even more than ever.

New jobs created

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Iceland created 2,500 Jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Waitrose create 4,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Sainsbury's create 5,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="142" caption="Tesco create up to 10,000 new jobs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Creating up to 5,000 new jobs"][/caption]

Seasonal Produce

I work for a food manufacture. I think we should start buying seasonal produce, this will halp local producers and local growers. local produce. Why should we be able to buy strawberry's in December, we buy so much food from around the world, do we care about who and how our food is manufactured.

[polldaddy poll="1283004"]

visit full article

Morrisons to create 5,000 new jobs

A Morrisons customer in Tynemouth. The company wants to add 90,000 sq metres of store space in coming years Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Morrisons has pledged to create 5,000 jobs this year, bucking the rise in unemployment as it looks to grow despite the economic downturn.

Britain's fourth-largest supermarket group said this morning that it would create new positions across its chain of stores. The new roles will include working on Morrisons' butchery, fish and bakery counters, said the personnel director, Norman Pickavance, although full details were not available.

"Even in these challenging economic conditions, Morrisons is committed to hiring and training new people to keep retail as the engine room of the economy and support our continuing growth," Pickavance said.

sourced from The Guardian read full article

Crimes increase as a recession looms

As the recession takes hold, we can expect crime especially theft to increase. Mostly this theft will be shop lifting. As supermarkets are seeing significant increases in shop lifting, this will only increase as we get further and further into the recession.  But if someone is stealing to feed their family, should we be more lenient on them.

But will the supermarkets cover this loss or will it be passed onto the consumer.

Shoplifiting for food soars as recession looms

Shoplifting in supermarkets has increased by more than a third since the economic downturn began to bite, according to some of the biggest stores.

Essential items like baby food are among the items being stolen most often as thieves increasingly steal out of necessity rather than greed.

At stores belonging to Iceland, the frozen food specialist, the most popular product for thieves is a leg of lamb followed by cheese, bacon and coffee.

At Tesco, the country's largest retailer, thefts are up by more than a third (36 per cent) this year and at Marks & Spencer the problem is also increasing.

Retailers say shoplifting has increased in previous recessions and they are taking extra security measures this time including electronically tagging food.

Stephen Robertson, director-general of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Retailers are preparing for an upsurge in offences and are extending crime prevention methods, for example, placing electronic security tags on expensive cuts of meat."

sourced from The Telegraph read full article

The recession crimewave

The recession puts police on the back foot as official figures show offences in 31 police forces are on the rise.

By Mark Hughes, Crime Correspondent and Ben Russell, Home Affairs Correspondent.

Robbery and burglary are on the rise across the country, almost doubling in some areas, according to figures that provide the first evidence that the economic downturn is fuelling crime.

Figures obtained by The Independent from police forces across England and Wales show that cases of burglary or robbery rose in 31 of the 43 forces in the final four months of the year in comparison with the same period in 2007. In those 31 areas an extra 5,572 crimes of burglary and robbery were committed in the final months of 2008, compared with the previous year.

Forces such as Greater Manchester, Suffolk, Gloucestershire and Cumbria all saw increases of between 20 and 50 per cent. Lincolnshire police saw the biggest rise, a 97 per cent increase in robbery between September and November – the most recent three-month period collated by the force – compared with the same three-month period the previous year.

sourced from The Independent read full article

Crimes increase as a recession looms

As the recession takes hold, we can expect crime especially theft to increase. Mostly this theft will be shop lifting. As supermarkets are seeing significant increases in shop lifting, this will only increase as we get further and further into the recession.  But if someone is stealing to feed their family, should we be more lenient on them.

But will the supermarkets cover this loss or will it be passed onto the consumer.

Shoplifiting for food soars as recession looms

Shoplifting in supermarkets has increased by more than a third since the economic downturn began to bite, according to some of the biggest stores.

Essential items like baby food are among the items being stolen most often as thieves increasingly steal out of necessity rather than greed.

At stores belonging to Iceland, the frozen food specialist, the most popular product for thieves is a leg of lamb followed by cheese, bacon and coffee.

At Tesco, the country's largest retailer, thefts are up by more than a third (36 per cent) this year and at Marks & Spencer the problem is also increasing.

Retailers say shoplifting has increased in previous recessions and they are taking extra security measures this time including electronically tagging food.

Stephen Robertson, director-general of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Retailers are preparing for an upsurge in offences and are extending crime prevention methods, for example, placing electronic security tags on expensive cuts of meat."

sourced from The Telegraph read full article

The recession crimewave

The recession puts police on the back foot as official figures show offences in 31 police forces are on the rise.

By Mark Hughes, Crime Correspondent and Ben Russell, Home Affairs Correspondent.

Robbery and burglary are on the rise across the country, almost doubling in some areas, according to figures that provide the first evidence that the economic downturn is fuelling crime.

Figures obtained by The Independent from police forces across England and Wales show that cases of burglary or robbery rose in 31 of the 43 forces in the final four months of the year in comparison with the same period in 2007. In those 31 areas an extra 5,572 crimes of burglary and robbery were committed in the final months of 2008, compared with the previous year.

Forces such as Greater Manchester, Suffolk, Gloucestershire and Cumbria all saw increases of between 20 and 50 per cent. Lincolnshire police saw the biggest rise, a 97 per cent increase in robbery between September and November – the most recent three-month period collated by the force – compared with the same three-month period the previous year.

sourced from The Independent read full article

High street hit by Downturn

The economic downturn has seen high profile failures such as Woolworths, and High Streets across the country are worried about falling sales.

News video from the BBC

Founder on Lush talks about the downturn from the BBC

Founder of Lush Cosmetics Mark Constantine explains why British retail has taken a turn for the worse.

High street hit by Downturn

The economic downturn has seen high profile failures such as Woolworths, and High Streets across the country are worried about falling sales.

News video from the BBC

Founder on Lush talks about the downturn from the BBC

Founder of Lush Cosmetics Mark Constantine explains why British retail has taken a turn for the worse.

Tesco trails after new discount offers backfire

One of the largest supermarket changes in Britain "Tesco" has suffered over the Christmas period. It was the worse performing on the top four supermarkets. This article is in direct contrast to Sainsbury's bumper Christmas sales.

The Article

Tesco will this week report the weakest Christmas trading of the big four supermarkets as doubts set in over its ambition to become "Britain's biggest discounter".

Analysts expect Tesco to post a 2.5% increase in like-for-like sales, lagging behind a field led by Morrisons, with an estimated 9%, nearly 7% at Asda and 4.5% at Sainsbury's.

Last year Tesco introduced a range of discount brands such as "Country Barn" cornflakes and "Daisy" washing up liquid to compete with Aldi and Asda. Analysts fear that the cheaper brands cannibalise sales: because these brands cost less, Tesco must sell more to stand still.

"This is the first big mistake Tesco has made in a decade," said Planet Retail analyst Bryan Roberts.

The supermarkets fared better than non-food specialists during a tough holiday season for the retail sector with results from specialists such as Currys and Argos, also due on Thursday, expected to make grim reading as consumers deferred spending on non-essential items. Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy will say that consumers let go of the purse strings to buy "special" Christmas treats for their families.

read full article sourced from The Observer

Tesco trails after new discount offers backfire

One of the largest supermarket changes in Britain "Tesco" has suffered over the Christmas period. It was the worse performing on the top four supermarkets. This article is in direct contrast to Sainsbury's bumper Christmas sales.

The Article

Tesco will this week report the weakest Christmas trading of the big four supermarkets as doubts set in over its ambition to become "Britain's biggest discounter".

Analysts expect Tesco to post a 2.5% increase in like-for-like sales, lagging behind a field led by Morrisons, with an estimated 9%, nearly 7% at Asda and 4.5% at Sainsbury's.

Last year Tesco introduced a range of discount brands such as "Country Barn" cornflakes and "Daisy" washing up liquid to compete with Aldi and Asda. Analysts fear that the cheaper brands cannibalise sales: because these brands cost less, Tesco must sell more to stand still.

"This is the first big mistake Tesco has made in a decade," said Planet Retail analyst Bryan Roberts.

The supermarkets fared better than non-food specialists during a tough holiday season for the retail sector with results from specialists such as Currys and Argos, also due on Thursday, expected to make grim reading as consumers deferred spending on non-essential items. Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy will say that consumers let go of the purse strings to buy "special" Christmas treats for their families.

read full article sourced from The Observer

Sales soar at Primark

Primark sales sour over the Christmas period. As the rest of the high street suffer Primark sales increase.

Article

Primark has enjoyed another successful Christmas, with sales soaring by more than a fifth as its cut-price chic continued to appeal to shoppers.

Parent company Associated British Foods said today that total sales at the fashion store rose by 21% in the final 16 weeks of last year.

The sharp rise was partly attributed to Primark opening six new stores during the year, but the group said like-for-like sales growth, which excludes new space, was "very strong" at around 4%.

Primark's performance provides further evidence that shoppers are becoming increasingly thrifty as the recession hammers consumer confidence – a trend that sent clothing sales falling sharply at Marks & Spencer.

Primark fired several suppliers in 2008 following allegations that they were using child labour. But this week, allegations emerged that one of its UK suppliers was subjecting its workers to sweatshop conditions, with illegal immigrants receiving just half the minimum wage for 12-hour days, seven days a week.

read full article sourced from the Guardian

Sales soar at Primark

Primark sales sour over the Christmas period. As the rest of the high street suffer Primark sales increase.

Article

Primark has enjoyed another successful Christmas, with sales soaring by more than a fifth as its cut-price chic continued to appeal to shoppers.

Parent company Associated British Foods said today that total sales at the fashion store rose by 21% in the final 16 weeks of last year.

The sharp rise was partly attributed to Primark opening six new stores during the year, but the group said like-for-like sales growth, which excludes new space, was "very strong" at around 4%.

Primark's performance provides further evidence that shoppers are becoming increasingly thrifty as the recession hammers consumer confidence – a trend that sent clothing sales falling sharply at Marks & Spencer.

Primark fired several suppliers in 2008 following allegations that they were using child labour. But this week, allegations emerged that one of its UK suppliers was subjecting its workers to sweatshop conditions, with illegal immigrants receiving just half the minimum wage for 12-hour days, seven days a week.

read full article sourced from the Guardian

Sales slide at Currys and Argos

When I read this article, it really does real like the downturn is having a major effect. You would expect a lot of small retail shops to close and the odd big one like Woolworth, but here we are facing the end of Argos, Currys and PC world - so all those out of town retail parks will soon be very empty.

The article

Sales at several of Britain's top retail chains have fallen markedly as a result of the economic slowdown.

DSG International, which owns Currys and PC World, said like-for-like sales - which ignore new stores - had dropped 10% in the three months to 10 January.

Home Retail Group said like-for-like sales at its Argos chain had fallen 7.5% in the 18 weeks to 3 January.

DIY chain Homebase, which is also owned by Home Retail Group, saw like-for-like sales in the same period drop 10.2%.

Many retailers are struggling as consumers cut back on spending amid rising jobless figures, falling house prices and recession worries.

read more sourced from the BBC