Retail news round-up on November 25, 2015: Tesco drivers threaten to strike ahead of festive period and Office set to change hands.

South African retailer set to buy shoe chain Office

Office could be another high street retailer to fall in South African hands following a possible acquisition deal as early as this week.

South African retailer Truworths is likely to snap up the British footwear chain from its private equity owner Silverfleet Capital for about £260m, according to Sky News.

The Johannesburg-listed company was considering a bid for the shoe business more than two months ago. It is keen to expand beyond its the African continent amid currency weakness at home.

A deal is expected to be announced soon, although a source close to the situation cautioned that the timetable could yet slip.

Tesco drivers plan to strike over pay just before Christmas

Tesco’s drivers and warehouse staff in Belfast and Doncaster have threatened potential strike action over pay for the first time in the run-up to Christmas.

This could result in the grocer facing disruptions to its distribution network after it froze pay for its 700 drivers and warehouse staff this year at two of its hubs.

The Unite trade union representing workers are now being balloted on industrial action, with the earliest time they could strike being December 18, during the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas.

Unite has called on the supermarket retailer to revise its ‘pitiful’ pay offer of a 0% rise this year and a 1.5% lift in 2016.

SuperValu ejects Tesco to be Ireland's biggest grocery retailer

Musgrave-owned brand SuperValu kicked Tesco out to become the biggest Irish grocery retailer again.

SuperValu grabbed a 24.6% share of the multi-billion euro grocery during the 12 weeks to November 8, while Tesco managing a 24.1% share, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

Dunnes Stores remains the third-biggest retailer, with a 23.7% share.

German chains Aldi and Lidl also continue to surge, giving both an 8.7% and 8.5% market share of respectively.

Ex-M&S boss joins Yoox Net-a-Porter board

Former Marks & Spencer boss Vittorio Radice will join the board of luxury online retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter as an independent director.

Subsequently, two Net-a-Porter bosses – Ian Tansley, managing director of the menswear site Mr Porter, and president of its discount website Outnet.com, Stephanie Phair – have stepped down.

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