Marks And Spencer Share Discussion Threads

[diku] 09/7/2023 22:19

Maybe Amazon can buy MKS...Ocado get thrown in?...

[xxxxxy] 07/7/2023 12:00

UK are still holding back on the high street as sales remained well below inflation amid the current cost of living crisis.Total like-for-like sales in June registered a modest growth of 1.9%, according to BDO's latest High Street Sales Tracker. UK inflation is currently at 8.7%, well above the Bank of England's 2% target.Sophie Michael, head of retail and wholesale at BDO, said: "The retail sector has recorded yet another month where sales volumes have come in well below inflation. Like-for-like sales growth has failed to exceed the rate of inflation every month since July 2022.... Yahoo Finance

[xxxxxy] 07/7/2023 11:39

Amazon may want Ocado, but won't be cheap. MKS has a big consideration.

[xxxxxy] 07/7/2023 11:38

According to WPP's recent The Modern Grocery Run report, a collaboration with Instacart and VMLY&R Commerce, two out of three consumers will be doing more than half their grocery shopping online by 2033.That's clear evidence that people are still prepared to spend more of their hard-earned money on online grocery, so it's no surprise that brands are jumping in.Meanwhile, it's a challenging time in the grocery market. Buffeted by the cost of living crisis and skyrocketing inflation, with food inflation hitting new heights, businesses are looking for new routes to growth.... The Drum

[qantas] 07/7/2023 00:28

Could Ocado finally unlock Amazon’s grocery ambitions?
By Julian Skelly, senior VP, retail at Publicis Sapient6 July 2023

Amazon has been trying to expand its grocery arm for some time, says Julian Skelly, senior VP, retail at Publicis Sapient

Could Ocado finally unlock Amazon’s grocery ambitions?
By Julian Skelly, senior VP, retail at Publicis Sapient6 July 2023

Have you ever ordered your weekly grocery shop from Amazon? For a great deal of us, the answer is probably no. Even though Amazon is by far the leader when it comes to e-commerce, its grocery delivery offering, Amazon Fresh, never really took off. In a recent poll, 78% of people said they had heard of Amazon Fresh but just 15% had used it.

Recently, the retail rumour mill has been buzzing with the news that Amazon might acquire Ocado. Amazon has been trying to expand its grocery arm for some time. It bought Whole Foods in 2017, introduced till-less stores – also called Amazon Fresh – from 2021, and it owns a 16% stake in Deliveroo. Taking on a strong UK brand is a logical next step as the business works to consolidate a hold in the grocery market.

Grocery is a market facing significant pressure from today’s economic challenges. Customer loyalty is hard to win and even harder to maintain. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Co-op are all incentivising loyalty via reduced prices for loyalty members, but the reality is the big supermarkets are losing share to the Discounters as customers increasingly focus on price points. Latest TWC Trends figures show just 18% of consumers say they always use the same grocer – which means they’re a fickle bunch and it’s all to play for.

Read The Grocer’s analysis on how Ocado could benefit Amazon
Amazon Prime is one of the strongest retail loyalty propositions. Combine this with Amazon’s financial strength, it can offer a hefty initial discount to new customers, provide attractive cross-promotion and price match what Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda are offering on online grocery. This gives Amazon an advantage in today’s cost of living crisis, when consumers are making price-based decisions. The Amazon brand is built on great experience and service, but all at a compelling price point.

What would Ocado offer Amazon? Short term, it would give them another boost through increased frequency and engagement with customers. Longer term, it would reinforce its strategy of doubling down on grocery, providing best-in-class services built on its core loyalty and supply chain platforms.

In terms of engagement, Amazon will be interacting with customers on a much more regular basis. Rather than one or two orders a month, customers do grocery shopping on a weekly basis. This provides more opportunities to cross-sell and leverage Amazon Prime to drive increased loyalty, potentially loosening customers from the grip of low price.

An American giant buying a British company isn’t a new story, but it’s increasingly becoming the trend. What makes the prospect of this deal particularly fascinating is asking the question: what’s in it for Ocado? What are they getting from Amazon that they couldn’t get through independent funding and a growth strategy?

It’s not clear if this is a short-term partnership or whether they’re fully committed to the Amazon platform. Historically, Ocado has frequently moved between partners. More importantly, will this be the key to Amazon unlocking the growth it sought in grocery when it launched Amazon Fresh?

[debsdowner] 06/7/2023 16:56

Sell off continues on stock markets due to further rises in interest rates. On of biggest fallers in retail Currys circa down 12% and ASOS over 7%.

ASOS market cap now a fraction of MKS at circa £320 million, how things have changed the last year.

[debsdowner] 06/7/2023 10:10

QANTAS,

Thanks for your input and links we have both been watching the demise of Odey.

The markets taking a pounding again today on worries US interest rate rises not finished and the same this side of the ocean.

On the retail front Currys was hamered after it posted results and posted a loss the company axed the dividend.

Unfortunately chasing the yield and value stocks was a bad mistake for some as the shares tanked.



Marks is bearing up lately just short of its short term highs and my target of £2.

[churchharbour] 05/7/2023 12:13

Thanks Qantas- a really strong presentation by M & S to show how the business is changing and progressing - roll on the interims & dividend & further institutional support

[qantas] 05/7/2023 09:15

MKS AGM 2023

[ayl30] 05/7/2023 07:11

https://uk.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/ms-food-makes-good-start-to-new-financial-year-says-boss-3072548

[philanderer] 04/7/2023 14:52

Don't think they ever give a trading update at their AGM.

[debsdowner] 04/7/2023 10:33

Sainsburys trading update, sales up as food inflation falls..

[xxxxxy] 03/7/2023 08:35

It's about dividend now. Let's be honest.

[debsdowner] 02/7/2023 14:12

Marks facing backlash over it's digital AGM...



Marks also trialing cut prices for it's SPARKS customers..

[churchharbour] 01/7/2023 10:13

Dividends restart in November according to Company statement with Annual results - AGM next Tuesday

[xxxxxy] 01/7/2023 09:04

And the dividend is?

[churchharbour] 30/6/2023 17:15

AGM on 4 July

[churchharbour] 30/6/2023 16:33

Moving up ahead of AGM on 4 July

[philanderer] 30/6/2023 00:22

H&M salutes a soaraway summer: HIgh Street fashion giant says sales are 10% up on this time last year

[debsdowner] 29/6/2023 17:15

Most retailers down today apart from Marks which only fell a pence or so, ASOS down 9.8% after one of the founders sells £1 million of shares which still is a concern ASOS shares not far off 7 year lows. BOOHO down 4.4%.

I suspect some of the weakness is down to interest rate expectations with the BOE saying interest rates could go higher and not much chance of them falling for some time.

[philanderer] 29/6/2023 14:30

'Bargain hunters bolster UK sales at B&M and H&M'


Upbeat figures from discounter and fashion chain follow similar updates from Next and Primark

[xxxxxy] 29/6/2023 14:18

John Redwood@johnredwoodThe main UK supermarkets are not profiteering. They are competing strongly. We need to grow more food and stop paying farmers to take more land out of production.6:00 am · 28 Jun 2023

[xxxxxy] 27/6/2023 15:02

A fund chaired by former UK chancellor George Osborne and backed by Italy's Agnelli family has increased its stake in online supermarket and robotics company Ocado to above the 5 per cent disclosure threshold.... Financial Times