Hut Group aims to become the new Ocado
FTSE 250 retailer-cum-technology company pins its hopes on an e-commerce platform it sells to other retailers, but growth has disappointed
15 April 2021 • 8:19pm
The Hut Group has lured millions of new customers to its stable of brands as demand for the company s beauty products and protein powders soared - but its much-hyped technology platform has failed to notch up quite the same stellar growth as its other divisions.
The retailer-cum-technology company posted record sales of £1.6bn, up 41pc for 2020. Underlying profits jumped more than a third to £151m, although one-off costs pushed it to a loss of more than half a billion pounds.
Ocado gets on the road to self-driving delivery vans
FTSE 100 grocery delivery firm is investing in Oxbotica, an autonomous driving company set up by Oxford University academics
16 April 2021 • 1:35pm
Ocado s relationship with Oxbotica began in 2017 when the pair conducted a two-week trial with an early prototype delivery vehicle in Greenwich
Ocado is investing £10m in a self-driving vehicle start-up as it seeks to build its own autonomous vans.
The company first started working with Oxbotica in 2017 when it launched a two-week trial for grocery delivery in London.
Ocado hopes to use some of the technology and software to eventually power self-driving vehicles in and around its depots, and even have robots drop off shopping in people’s homes.
Colin versus Cuthbert as M&S declares caterpillar cake war on Aldi
Retailer argues that the German supermarket s Cuthbert the Caterpillar product infringes its trademark
Colin the Caterpillar (left) and its Aldi rival Cuthbert
Marks & Spencer is taking Aldi to court in a bid to protect its Colin the Caterpillar cake.
The retailer has accused the discounter chain of riding on its reputational coat-tails after Aldi began selling its own Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake, which looks very similar.
M&S claims it infringes its trademark and could lead shoppers to falsely believe the two products are sourced to the same standards.
Just Eat boss has plenty of appetite to finish off Deliveroo
Jitse Groen has gone for the jugular on Deliveroo s stock market flop, putting him at risk of hubris, but he is in the fight to win it
13 April 2021 • 6:44pm
You only have to look at Jitse Groen s Twitter profile to know why Just Eat’s press handlers keep him on a tight leash.
Keen not to ruffle any feathers, most chief executives will carefully deflect questions about their rivals. Not Groen. The 42-year-old went for the jugular when reflecting on Deliveroo s stock market flop last week.
“Disaster. This is clearly very damaging to their business, their customers and the trust in the European tech sector as a whole,” he said.