The CMA is mulling whether to investigate Amazon’s investment in food courier Deliveroo’s latest fundraising. Amazon led a $575 million (£457) fundraising in Deliveroo in May, pitting itself against Uber Eats in the push to dominate the market for takeaway meal deliveries. (BBC, Reuters)
Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe walked away with a £3.9m pay package following the supermarket’s annual general meeting yesterday. More than 90% of investors approved the grocer’s remuneration report, despite pressure from two shareholder advisory groups who considered Coupe’s pay “excessive” in the light of the failed Asda tie-up and falling quarterly sales (The Guardian) ) At the AGM, Coupe faced the ire of angry shareholders who described him as “useless” and said he should be fired (Sky News). However, almost all Sainsbury’s investors supported Coupe’s re-election the board (The Daily Mail).
Value fashion retailer Primark is to open a new store in Chicago now that pains in the US are considered over. The chain, owned by Associated British Foods, said in a quarterly update it had inked contract for a site in Michigan, Illinois (The Financial Times £) Primark blamed the poor weather for a dip in quarterly sales, with cooler conditions in May affecting the sale of summer clothes. Analysts estimated a quarterly like-for-like decline of 2%, however, Primark’s owner ABF said it had seen an improvement in June in the UK with the fast fashion chain “recovering strongly” on the continent (The Telegraph) Primark’s 9-month revenue however, soared 4%, while owner ABF worked to offset challenges in its sugar division (The Daily Mail)
The soaring popularity of “plant-based” diets has led to an increased use of the yellow pea as a key ingredient. Companies such as Beyond Meat, Tyson and Nestle’ as using the pea as a source from which to draw proteins for their veggie options leading to supply squeeze. (The Financial Times £, The Daily Mail)
A quarter of UK betting shops is at risk of closure with 12,000 jobs on the line as bookmaker William Hill considers axing 700 sites following stricter regulation (The Guardian). The FTSE 250 listed firm said there had been a “significant fall” in gaming machines revenue since the rules came in effect in April (The Financial Times £). William Hill said it would slash its store estate by a third, with at least 1,600 shops facing closure worldwide (The Telegraph, The Daily Mail)
Analysts warned that bad weather and a falling appetite for gin would hurt Fevertree’s market results. In a note, Jefferies analysts cut the AIM listed soft-drink maker’s target price to £27 from £31. (The Telegraph)
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