Christmas TV ads 2024: Patrick Freyne on Marks & Spencer, Lidl, Boots, Amazon and more
Patrick Freyne: here are my favourite corporate psy-ops of the season – or Christmas TV ads, as I believe you call them in the suburbs
Marks & Spencer
In Washington, the peaceful transfer of power surprises a city boarded up for violence
Planet Business: Royal private estate income, data-hungry air fryers and the companies keen for it to be Christmas already
Greek red wines are a treasure trove of unique grape varieties
Interest in Greek wine has been growing. As we head into autumn, here are two grape varieties worth investigating
Why do shops charge for paper bags and is it justified?
Retailers charging customers for paper bags are dressing it up as an environmental move
Dressing for summer in Ireland isn’t easy, but here are style staples that always work
Dressing for summer in Ireland isn’t easy, but there are some style staples that always work, says Corina Gaffey
Tumultuous week sees European shares slide after Macron calls snap French election
Iseq index a sea of red as investors fear looser fiscal policies if far-right National Rally party wins
Marks & Spencer profit soars as turnaround strategy delivers
Retailer’s shares jump 8% after market beat
Finishing Jus: An instant hit of flavour when you can’t face gravy from scratch
The tub isn’t huge but the flavour is concentrated so you can add a bit of wine or water to make it go further
Marks & Spencer’s Irish business pays €100m dividend to UK parent
Despite headwinds, Irish stores returned an increased operating profit of more than €21m last year
M&S joins other UK grocers in raising employees’ hourly pay
FTSE 100 group will increase rate to at least £12 putting it above the national minimum wage
Your week abroad hasn’t begun until you’ve taken in the beauty of the foreign crisps aisle
Emer McLysaght: Fancy Dunnes, Big Tesco, regional Supervalu, Mercadona – I love them all
European shares fall as stronger-than-expected US inflation hits rate-cut hopes
Pan-European Stoxx 600 suffers third consecutive day of losses
European shares recoup losses but JD Sports shares plunge after profit warning
Ryanair arrests its slide with airline gaining 0.4% on Dublin listing
M&S back in fashion as shares double in value so far this year
Retailer appears set to capitalise on its older, wealthier clientele
Applegreen and M&S cement partnership with plan for 60 new food locations
Forecourt operator has been selling M&S food products at five stores since last year but now plans to expand partnership
Christmas TV ads 2023: Patrick Freyne on Aldi, John Lewis, Boots and more
We rate this season’s advertisements for weepiness, capitalism, gluttony and liturgical correctness
Two wines for €15 that are perfect winter drinking
Wines for the Weekend: This Pontenari is made by Alberto Antonini, one of the most respected Italian winemakers
Period Pants: High silver levels could pose health risk, study says
Silver added to combat user concerns about smell and hygiene but it can kill healthy bacteria, says FDA
Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s blowtorch, Britain’s strictest headteacher and a GB News yeller: The M&S Christmas-ad controversy has it all
Donald Clarke: Social media is providing a digital bullhorn to every crank, blowhard and malcontent
Operating profit at Marks & Spencer’s Republic business seen increasing
Investor presentation implies operation in the Republic grew revenue and operating profit
Two north Italian wines from Marks & Spencer
Weekend wines: Region produces host of less tannic but very good reds and fresh crisp wines
Ireland has two classes: working-class and ‘notions’. In London, it’s far more subtle
British supermarkets mirror the nation’s class structure. Australia’s no-nonsense approach feels more like home
Woolly messages arrive thick and fast from autumn-minded fashion chains
Knee-high boots and winter coats possibly not on shoppers’ priority lists as September sun blazes
Marks & Spencer raises 2023 outlook in surprise trading update
UK retailer expects profit growth after strong start to year
Making savings while saving the planet and joining the circular economy
Pricewatch: Organisations are starting to incorporate reuse and recycling into how they work, leaving the destructive linear economy behind
Marks & Spencer launches click-and-collect service with Applegreen
Customers can pick up online clothing, home and beauty orders from one of five stations in the fuels group’s Leinster network
Ireland’s largest shopping centre to be put up for sale with €725m price tag
Wall Street investment giant appoints Eastdil Secured and CBRE to find buyer for 1.2 million square feet Dublin retail scheme
DeSantis eschews Disney World for his safe space: Musk’s glitchy Twitter
Planet Business: Marks & Spencer’s ‘improved style perceptions’, Instagram’s planned text-based app and the dire potential consequences of a US debt default
Profit down 7.8% at M&S as Irish food business hit by Brexit costs
Overall Irish sales increased 15.1% in the year, driven largely by clothing and homeware
British retailers raise prices of own-label ranges faster than those of brands
Research shows cost of offerings often marketed as budget surging even as they prove a hit with shoppers
Frascati Centre in Blackrock ‘quietly’ on market with €100m price tag
Confidential sales memo cites scope for rental income growth through development of rental apartments
Marks & Spencer’s Irish business returns to profit after ‘lost year’ of pandemic
UK retailer made a pretax profit in excess of €31m for the 52 weeks up to April 2nd last year
Sports Direct to open for business at Athlone Towncentre
Retailer to occupy newly created 19,000sq ft anchor unit on ground floor at Midlands scheme
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