1914 | Sainsbury's Ad | Christmas 2014

Nov 12, 2014 | Sainsbury’s Christmas advert, 1914. Made in partnership with The Royal British Legion. Inspired by real events from 100 years ago.

In my opinion, this is the most beautiful Christmas ad ever! It is very moving and is based on an actual event that occurred in the Great War. This short advertisement encapsulates the true spirit of Christmas. It also brings us Europeans closer together and shows the senselessness of war and conflict. Wonderful! – © Mark Alexander

The Best Christmas Ad Ever! 1914 | Sainsbury's Ad | Christmas 2014 | Reupload

Nov 12, 2014 | Sainsbury’s Christmas advert, 1914. Made in partnership with The Royal British Legion. Inspired by real events from 100 years ago. The theme is ‘Christmas is for sharing’. Made in partnership with The Royal British Legion, it commemorates the extraordinary events of Christmas Day, 1914, when the guns fell silent and two armies met in no-man’s land, sharing gifts – and even playing football together.

Has Sainsbury’s Christmas Ad Left John Lewis Out in the Cold?

The supermarket group's take on Christmas Day 1914 in the trenches has upped the ante in the seasonal adverts battle

Read the Telegraph article and comment here | Elizabeth Anderson | Thursday, November 13, 2014

Removing Kosher Food from Shelves Is Giving In to Hatred

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sainsbury’s action may have been banal, but it is part of a normalisation of anti-Semitism

Terrorism takes many forms. But whether it is Islamist extremists on the streets of London or IS beheadings in Syria and Iraq, it has one common thread – it is designed to instil such fear that a society or community changes its very way of life.

On Saturday, a branch of Sainsbury’s removed all kosher food from its shelves over fears that anti-Israel protesters picketing outside would attack the shop. Compared with the impact of the 7/7 murders, Sainsbury’s behaviour was certainly banal. But it was more than that, because in its way it was both giving in to, and colluding with, a form of terrorism.

In response to those protesters outside Sainsbury’s Holborn branch calling for a boycott of its Israeli goods, the manager ordered his staff to clear the shop of all its kosher goods. Clearly the manager is not the brightest spark in the firmament, since kosher produce – which is the only food observant Jews are allowed to eat – is not the same as Israeli produce – which is simply food produced in Israel. The kosher produce in the shop was apparently made in the UK and Poland, and had never been near Israel. » | Stephen Pollard* | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

* Stephen Pollard is editor of 'The Jewish Chronicle’

Sainsbury’s to Delta Two: No Pensions, No Deal
THE TELEGRAPH: Members of the Sainsbury family will move to block the Qatari bid for the supermarket chain – unless a deal is struck with the group's pension fund trustees.

The Sainsbury family fear that Sir Philip Hampton, the chairman of Sainsbury, plans to recommend a 600p-a-share offer for the retailer from Delta Two – despite the fact that the Qatari-backed investment fund has yet to reach an agreement with the trustees of the Sainsbury pension fund.

A spokesman for the principal members of the family made clear their opposition to a deal unless the pension fund trustees are on board.

"We have consistently made clear the principles on which we would address any offer. Important among these is that the pension scheme is properly looked after," he said.

Without an agreement with the pension fund trustees, the family is expected to oppose the deal. Sainsbury deal hits deadlock over pensions (more) By Richard Fletcher and Ben Harrington

Mark Alexander

Britain Sells Out to the Gulf
TIMESONLINE: Delta Two, the fund backed by the Qatari Government, has finished sifting through J Sainsbury’s books, signalling that a firm £10.6 billion offer for one of Britain’s oldest supermarket groups could come as soon as this week.

Sources said that lawyers and bankers for Delta Two had completed their due diligence process last week after gaining access to Sainsbury’s proprietary internal data in September.

Their reports are due to be sent to Delta Two’s financing banks - Credit Suisse, Dresdner Kleinwort and ABN Amro – early this week so that they can reconfirm their loans before Delta Two officially launches its 600p-a-share offer to shareholders.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s board is set to meet on Thursday and is understood to be ready to give the offer its recommendation.

The move means that the Qataris are within weeks of sealing only the second take-private deal for a FTSE 100 company, the £11 billion leveraged buyout of Alliance Boots earlier this year having been the first.

Although Delta Two is yet to reach agreement with Sainsbury’s pension trustees and the founding Sainsbury family, the supermarket’s board, led by Sir Philip Hampton, has already said that the offer is recommendable, subject to due diligence and financing. Qatari fund on brink of formal £10.6bn offer for Sainsbury’s (more) By Siobhan Kennedy

Mark Alexander

Petrodollars Now Being Used to Buy Up UK’s Supermarkets: Qatari Royal Family Poised to Buy Up Sainsbury’s in £11bn Bid
Here we go again! Businessmen go selling off the family silver! Have these idiots ever asked themselves what this capitalist economy will be like for the ordinary working man once the Islamic world has bought up all there is worth owning? Don’t they have the nouse to ask one simple question? If they can buy up our businesses, why can’t we buy up theirs? The sort of capitalism these businessmen advocate is a one-sided affair. What we need is a level playing field. They probably haven't got the balls to insist on one. - ©Mark Alexander

THE TELEGRAPH: Delta Two, the investment vehicle controlled by the Qatari royal family, is poised to table a £11bn-plus bid for J Sainsbury.

In a short statement this morning, the supermarket giant said it had received "perliminary approach" and will make a further statement in due course.

Delta Two has expressed confidence in Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King and his strategy[.]

Funding for the offer has been secured in recent days and the final touches are being put to a full team of City advisers, led by investment banks Dresdner Kleinwort and Credit Suisse. Qataris in £11bn bid to buy Sainsbury (more) By Richard Fletcher and Ben Harrington

THE TELEGRAPH:
Qatar's bold ambitions (more) By Ben Bland

THE TELEGRAPH:
Business comment: Sainsbury's will learn petro dollars' buying power (more) By Damian Reece

FINANCIAL TIMES:
Delta Two in £12bn move on Sainsbury By Lina Saigol

Mark Alexander