WH Smith is demanding to be allowed to delay its rent payments as some of the high street’s stronger retailers capitalise on landlords’ woes. When its leases come up for renewal, WH Smith is pushing landlords to switch from receiving payment in advance — the industry standard — to receiving it in arrears. (The Times £)
Ocado expansion plan to build a new depot right next to the primary school in Islington has primary schoolchildren up in arms. The controversy is indicative of a bigger shift as grocers edge closer to people’s homes to win their cash. (The Telegraph)
Where next for Ocado? That is the question that will be asked as it releases its full-year results on Tuesday as its shares remain 15% below its all-time high. (The Daily Mail)
Waitrose is to launch thousands of new and revamped products in the coming months as the battle for the hearts and minds of Ocado shoppers moves up a gear. (The Guardian)
The private equity giant KKR has hired bankers to help it lodge a blockbuster $8bn bid for haircare brands including Clairol, GHD and Wella. (Sky News)
Domino’s Pizza has been thrown into fresh dispute with its franchisees after an investigation found that the shop owners had been made to pay for a spate of fraudulent transactions on its websites. (The Times £)
Tesco has accepted first-round bids from CP and two other Sino-Thai family conglomerates and hometown rivals: Central Group and TCC, for its Lotus stores in a deal that could fetch up to US$10bn. “The Tesco deal, expected to be one of Asia’s biggest merger and acquisition transactions this year, will bring into focus the competition between these rich conglomerates — companies that reach deep into Thailand and have extensive foreign operations, but remain little known outside their region.” (The Financial Times £)
Marks & Spencer will stop issuing shopping vouchers to thousands of investors who hold its shares through stockbrokers as part of an investor communications overhaul. (The Daily Mail)
Salmon farmers face “huge unnecessary burdens” and a loss of market share under UK government plans for Brexit. The chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said firms were being told to prepare for trade barriers with the EU. (The BBC)
Consumption of gin is predicted to rise by more than 50% over the next four years, cooling speculation that the “ginaissance” has already reached its peak. (The Times £)
The average cost of a bottle of wine is expected to break the £6 mark for the first time this year - threatening to price out millions of people who enjoy the tipple, the industry has warned. (Sky News)
A rise in the number of regular “lunchtime” vegan shoppers is fuelling sales of plant-based sandwiches and wraps, according to supermarkets. (The Guardian)
As the global appetite for raw-milk cheese grows, its makers find themselves facing a wall of bureaucracy and food-safety requirements. (The Financial Times £)
Does John Lewis warning of closures mean department stores are doomed? Changing shopping habits are hurting even the biggest brands, and fuelling redevelopment of unloved retail space. (The Guardian)
Britain’s exports to the European Union fell last year while orders to the rest of the world rose. (The Times £)
The Times (£) looks at how a £25,000 loan from the government’s Start Up Loans scheme allowed beer business Northern Monkey to buy brewing equipment and set out on the right path. (The Times £)
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