News Snippets
Waitrose has written to 1,000 of its suppliers to ask them to reduce their prices, according to the Telegraph. Waitrose's managing director, said that the requests had gone to suppliers of branded food and farmers in primary agriculture in the UK. The "upmarket" chain saw it's share of the UK grocery market shrink to 3.9% in the 12 weeks to February 22. Things are so bad for poor old Waitrose that it is being forced to introduce an "essential Waitrose" range where beans will come in a tin 500 at a time, rather than individually wrapped in gold leaf.
Britain's fourth-biggest food retailer Morrisons meanwhile continues to go from strength to strength. The chain which says it serves around 10 million shoppers a week from 375 stores, reports today a profit before tax up 7 per cent to £655 million, from £612 million a year ago. The retailer said that its share of the UK grocery market, based on data from research firm TNS, had risen to 12.3%. The company said that 550,000 more shoppers were visiting its stores each week and that it was enjoying particularly strong growth in its Value range of lower-priced food, where sales surged by 50 per cent.
BT meanwhile says it has frozen the pay of its entire 100,000-strong UK workforce. If any of it's employees are unhappy about it they've set up a special call-centre helpline to deal with their problems. Press one to go round in circles, press two to listen to some music, press three to hear how important your call is, press four to hear these options again. Maybe this might help bring a smile to their grim little faces: BT Call Centre. WARNING: Contains strong language! You will need your speakers on.
Britain's fourth-biggest food retailer Morrisons meanwhile continues to go from strength to strength. The chain which says it serves around 10 million shoppers a week from 375 stores, reports today a profit before tax up 7 per cent to £655 million, from £612 million a year ago. The retailer said that its share of the UK grocery market, based on data from research firm TNS, had risen to 12.3%. The company said that 550,000 more shoppers were visiting its stores each week and that it was enjoying particularly strong growth in its Value range of lower-priced food, where sales surged by 50 per cent.
BT meanwhile says it has frozen the pay of its entire 100,000-strong UK workforce. If any of it's employees are unhappy about it they've set up a special call-centre helpline to deal with their problems. Press one to go round in circles, press two to listen to some music, press three to hear how important your call is, press four to hear these options again. Maybe this might help bring a smile to their grim little faces: BT Call Centre. WARNING: Contains strong language! You will need your speakers on.
