The world’s largest retailer comfortably beat fourth-quarter sales forecasts last night, attracting robust growth in online spending by consumers during the holiday season despite high borrowing costs (The Times £). Amazon’s bumper holiday season and forecasts for accelerating cloud growth boosted its shares as earnings rebounded from last year (Financial Times £).
Forcing all UK supermarkets to put “not for EU” labels on meat, dairy and plant products in a move to assuage the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland will force up prices and undermine the war against inflation, ministers have been told. (The Guardian)
The Scottish company that makes Irn-Bru and Funkin cocktails has sprung a surprise by picking Euan Sutherland as its next chief executive, replacing Roger White. (The Times £)
Two-fifths of FTSE-listed retailers issued profit warnings last year as consumer weakness and high costs weighed on sales, new data shows. (Daily Mail)
Shedding small brands offers balm to corporate owners – Haleon’s offloading of ChapStick is the latest example. Products with growth lagging behind the big “power brands” drag down earnings. Bosses keener to reduce debts than increase investment can earn a healthy premium — reckoned at 30% in the case of ChapStick — by selling. Incoming chief executives have a penchant for clearing the decks. (Financial Times £)
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