Business Extra

Cheaper butter TESCO, Aldi and Lidl are following Sainsbury’s lead by lowering the price of their own-brand salted and unsalted butter from £1.99 (€2.29) to £1.89 (€2.17) for a 250-gramme pack while also cutting the price of own-brand bread.  Meanwhile, Asda and Morrison have yet to follow suit. 

Tesla choice TESLA has chosen Barcelona-based Holaluz to install Powerwall home batteries in Spain, an integrated battery system which stores solar energy for backup protection so that power stays on when the grid goes down. The system detects outages and automatically recharges with sunlight to keep appliances running for days.

Sporting chance JD SPORTS plans to acquire French sportswear retailer Courir for €520 million, which includes paying €325 million via existing cash resources, and taking on a €195 million debt.  The London-listed sportswear giant revealed that it did not expect to complete the deal before the second half of this year.

Tax break SPAIN’S tax authority Hacienda announced a 25 per cent income tax (IRPF) reduction on the net yield of 828,000 drought-affected agricultural growers and livestock farmers.    The measure applies to their 2022 tax declarations for those using the module system, the country’s official state bulletin (BOE) confirmed.

Lift-off MELROSE INDUSTRIES’ shares soared after outstripping expectations and announcing that it would focus on the aerospace industry after de-merging its automotive business.  It expects full-year sales of between £3.35 and £3.45 billion (€3.8 and €4 billion), well within the company-compiled £3.4 (€3.9 million) estimate.

Drink up THE City Pub Group said that after an “anaemic” Coronation Day, sales the next day, Sunday, had been “really, really” strong.  Longer opening hours would bring a boost of around £104 million (€119.8 million) to the sector the Centre for Economics and Business Research had forecast beforehand. 

No takers BUSINESS-OWNERS are finding it increasingly difficult to cover job vacancies and engage sufficient staff to complete their work-forces. “This is a problem  affecting all sectors and qualification levels, warned Andrés Sendagorta, president of Basque multinational Senera and the Institute of Family Businesses (IEF). 

Love in the air AS predicted, ITV’s advertising revenues dropped by 10 per cent during the first quarter of this year.  The broadcaster said it expected declining advertising sales to be compensated by the next series of Love Island and the Rugby World Cup which would draw large broadcast and streaming audiences.

Going green CEPSA signed an agreement to supply European energy service provider GETEC with green hydrogen from 2026.  This will give the Spanish-based oil company a direct link to its industrial customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy, Cepsa’s Hydrogen director Joaquin Rodriguez said.

School bills IT costs families at least £39 (€44.9) a week in transport, lunches, uniform, learning materials and school trips to send a child to a state secondary school according to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). This fell to £19 (€21.87) a week for a child attending primary school.