Boots has given suitors until the end of today to table offers for the high street chemist. The Daily Mail understands US private equity group Bain Capital is among those to have made an offer.
Average UK petrol and diesel prices have hit new highs as the Ukraine crisis continues to affect oil prices, the RAC has said (BBC News).
Oil prices have surged past $100 (£74) a barrel after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine (BBC News).
Russian attack on Ukraine lifts oil above $100 a barrel and knocks stock markets (The Times £).
The governor of the Bank of England has called on businesses to show restraint when raising their prices, after he came under heavy criticism for saying workers should not demand big pay rises to help manage inflation (The Guardian).
The Bank of England is concerned that what started as a global price problem could embed itself into the fabric of the UK economy (The Times £).
Several retailers are preparing to start selling Covid-19 testing kits once the British government stops distributing them for free in England, with greater competition set to push prices down (The Financial Times £).
Fresh fruit and vegetables should be sold loose and without best-before labels to reduce plastic packaging, prevent waste and cut emissions, according to government-funded research (The Times £).
The 18-month study by the sustainability charity Wrap, which also looked at sales of bananas, broccoli and cucumbers, debunks the idea that single-use plastic wrappers help prevent waste (The Guardian).
The Grocer exclusively revealed in December that the clock was ticking on loose fruit and veg packaging, with an 18-month study finding fears that its removal would cause a major spike in food waste were vastly exaggerated.
Gousto has raised a further $230m a month after sealing its unicorn status with a $100m placing (The Times £).
An opinion column in The Financial Times (£) says Carl Icahn’s push for happier McDonald’s pigs is just the start. “Investors won’t sit by idly when companies fail to match stakeholder rhetoric and ESG promises with genuine action.”
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