Wednesday newspaper round-up: Sainsbury's, Boots, IDS, Purplebricks

(Sharecast News) - Regulators should take action to curb a sharp rise in the price of infant formula, pregnancy campaigners have said, after a UK survey found more than half of women felt anxious about the cost of feeding their babies, with the number who expressed concerned rising by a quarter in two years. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) found 65% of mothers were worried about the price of feeding their babies, and the same number said it had a negative impact on their family's finances. A third of women felt it was "better" for babies to be fed the more expensive milk, despite there being no nutritional benefits. - Guardian The chief executive of Sainsbury's has defended its decision to sell data on the shopping habits of his customers to TV and consumer goods manufacturers looking to target their advertising. Simon Roberts has said the supermarket group protects personal data "incredibly carefully" and that its strategy had made adverts more "relevant" for shoppers. - Guardian

The US owner of Boots is weighing a £7bn UK listing of the high street pharmacy chain in plans that could provide a much-needed boost for London's ailing stock market. Walgreens Boots Alliance is understood to be looking at options for Boots, two years after it abandoned a sale of the 174-year-old UK company. Boots' management is said to be pushing Walgreens toward an initial public offering (IPO) which would mark a return of the company to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) following a 16-year hiatus. - Telegraph

The Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services (IDS) is mulling a bid of up to €500 million for Packeta, a Czech parcels business. The group, which operates in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Germany as well as the Czech Republic, was put up for sale in May this year. The latest round of bids are due to be tabled by Friday. - The Times

Homeowners can now sell their houses for nothing through Purplebricks as the online estate agent tries to claw back market share it lost over the past couple of chaotic years. The agent, which unlike its more traditional rivals has no high street presence, will value a home, list it on Zoopla and handle the negotiation process free of charge. - The Times