Unilever’s board is to delay a decision on whether to choose the UK or the Netherlands for its headquarters on account of political emotions running high in Europe. (The Finanical Times £)

Another day, another bolt-on deal for consumer goods giant Unilever. The Anglo-Dutch group on Monday said it has struck a deal to acquire US skincare maker Sundial Brands, as part of a wider effort to refashion itself and appease shareholders after rebuffing a $143bn approach from rival Kraft Heinz. (The Financial Times £)

Reports that Unilever is searching for a successor to its peculiar chief executive, Paul Polman, 61, prompts speculation of a return for Tesco’s £4.1 million-a-year chief Dave Lewis, a former protégé of Polman’s. Tesco would be reluctant to lose Lewis, 52, but in the long term such a move might actually work in its favour. (The Daily Mail)

A whopping £1.4bn was spent on online sales in the UK on Black Friday - up some 11.7% on last year, according to online retailers trade body IMRG. But on High Streets, shopping centres and retail parks it was a different story with footfall figures down 3.6%, analysis firm Springboard said. (The BBC)

The Telegraph writes that whole idea of the Black Friday weekend (or week) is commercial madness. The fact that retailers have gone along with it is a reflection of the deep hole they find themselves in as Amazon tightens its death-grip. (The Telegraph £)

The struggle to keep customers in the casual dining sector is no problem for Patisserie Holdings, which is pondering a bid worth up to £150 million for the company that owns Gail’s, an upmarket chain of artisan bakeries. (The Times £)

Patisserie Valerie, the cafe chain headed by veteran entrepreneur Luke Johnson, is considering opening a new factory in Manchester after posting another year of rapid growth (The Telegraph). The firm behind the Patisserie Valerie chain saw full-year profits rise despite higher costs as demand for its cakes and croissants continued to rise (The Daily Mail). The owner of cake maker Patisserie Valerie has reported a 17% rise in annual profits despite inflation and wage increases taking a slice of its bottom line (Sky News). Shares in the company behind Patisserie Valerie climbed 5.6 per cent on Monday after the French-style cake shop reported an increase in both revenues and profits in its full-year results (The Financial Times £)

The British restaurant group Yo! Sushi is turning to a former Pizza Express boss to accelerate its growth plans, even as many of its casual dining rivals face into severe financial headwinds. (Sky News)

Online grocer Ocado won a vote of confidence yesterday from analysts at Credit Suisse, who suggested that the recent slide in Ocado’s shares had been overdone. Shares in the company have slumped by a fifth over the past month, despite there being no obvious news behind the pessimism, they noted. (The Times £)

Berenberg has restated its ‘sell’ rating on Big Four supermarket Morrisons. ‘There are other food retailers that are cheaper, more likely to return capital and generating significantly higher return on invested capital,’ the broker said. (The Daily Mail)

The UK’s cheapest supermarket Christmas dinner will cost 18% more than it did last year, as the impact of inflation and Brexit-related commodity costs makes its way to the festive family table. (The Guardian)

Retailers are rising to the top of Wall Street this morning, building on Friday’s advances as early optimism about Cyber Monday sales give investors hope about the kickoff to the start of the holiday digital-shopping season. (The Financial Times £)

 

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