Life's A Picnic

J Sainsbury ... Bradford & Bingley: Tempus at lunchtime

Only rumours are helping Sainsbury's share price ... B&B is suffering for issuing self-certification mortgages

Tempus analysis: Certain rumours

But for speculation of a return by the Qataris, the price of Sainsbury's stock would arguably be a lot lower

Aldi throws down a gauntlet to Tesco

German-owned group Aldi has predicted that Tesco's mooted discount range would be a flop because of low quality products

Retailers report the worst trend in 25 years

Wet weather and financial worries have hit retailers, with 60 per cent saying that their first-half sales had dropped

Sainsbury's soar on bid rumours

Speculation is mounting that the Qatari Investment Authority and Robert Tchenguiz are preparing to bid for Sainsbury's

Business big shot: Paul Foley

The managing director of Aldi has transformed the retailer, previously renowned for its secrecy, into a slick PR machine

Price slump hits Pendragon

Pre-tax profits at Pendragon, the car dealership, fell by 60 per cent as private sector registrations fell by 5 per cent

Pendragon profits dive on falling car sales

Used car prices fell to a five-year low and new vehicle registrations nosedived as customers deferred large purchases

M&S suspends payout 'whistle-blower'

Employee who revealed M&S' intentions to cut redundancy pay by up to 25% faces disciplinary hearing next week

M&S suspends worker who leaked plans

Marks & Spencer suspended the worker who blew the whistle on proposals to cut redundancy terms for more than 60,000 staff

John Lewis chairman vows not to cut jobs

Charlie Mayfield, John Lewis chief executive, says the company must tighten up on costs but there will be no job losses

Tesco cashes in on local produce

The supermarket chain is well on course to generate more than £500m from the sale of locally produced food and drink this year

Tesco chip-and-PIN lapse at petrol outlets

Nearly one in 10 of the supermarket's petrol outlets allows motorists to use pumps with no need for an identity check