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Third Jamie Oliver Group finance executive quits in just over a year October 16, 2018 Jamie Oliver Group director James Gregory has left the company, becoming the third finance executive to leave the TV chef's business in just over a year. The string of departures come at a tough time for the business, and the casual dining sector in general, as 12 of the Jamie's Italian brand restaurants were closed this year [...]
Aldi and Lidl to be part of watchdog probe into Sainsbury’s takeover of Asda October 16, 2018 The UK’s competition watchdog will be factoring in the role of major rivals and potential threats to suppliers as part of its probe into the planned Sainsbury’s and Asda merger. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said this morning that as part of its investigation into the J Sainsbury takeover of rival Asda, the “level [...]
London business benefits scaleup Perkbox travels across the channel October 16, 2018 Employee engagement scaleup Perkbox, which taps companies such as Ikea, Odeon and Deliveroo to provide benefits and discounts to small business employees, has today made its first foray outside of the UK to launch in France. The London company, which has approximately 250 employees under its own wing, is set to open up a new [...]
Footasylum records £4m loss as difficult retail environment hits profits October 16, 2018 Footwear retailer Footasylum was hit by losses of over £4m in the first half of the year, as the UK's difficult trading environment on the high street took its toll. The figures For the 26 week period ending on 25 August 2018, Footasylum reported an adjusted loss before tax of £4m, compared with a profit of £2.3m [...]
Shopping spree: Aldi and Lidl gain market share at expense of big three supermarkets October 16, 2018 The UK's biggest supermarkets lost ground to their budget rivals in the three months into the start of October, as the return of chilly weather marked the end of a bumper summer of growth. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda all lost market share to Aldi and Lidl, with Tesco shedding 0.6 percentage points and Sainsbury's losing 0.4 percentage points [...]
Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments’ share price falls as trading shows early signs of recovery October 16, 2018 Shares in Merlin Entertainments were down more than seven per cent this morning despite the Legoland owner reporting that 2018 forecasts were in line with market expectations. The group's Midway brands, which are driven by the London market and include Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, the Sea Life Centre and London Dungeons, have started to see early signs of [...]
Paddy Power fined £2.2m for failing to protect customers October 16, 2018 Paddy Power Betfair has been fined £2.2m by the gambling watchdog for failing to protect customers and stop stolen money being gambled. The betting site failed to adequately interact with customers who were displaying signs of problem gambling and to carry out anti-money laundering checks, an investigation by the Gambling Commission found. Read more: Rank [...]
Menswear styling tech startup Thread raises $22m October 16, 2018 Fast fashion startup Thread will today announce the close of its series B funding round at $22m (£16.7m), which includes backing from Balderton Capital, Beringea and H&M’s investment arm H&M Co:Lab. The round will also be complemented by a crowdfunding raise on Crowdcube later this year, providing everyday investors access to shares in Thread on [...]
Yes Icahn: Activist investor moves to block Dell’s route to a listing October 15, 2018 Activist investor Carl Icahn will try to block a plan by computer company Dell to buy back tracker shares in its subsidiary VMware, saying it is offering knock-down prices. The investor, who opposed the move to take Dell private five years ago, said he had bought 8.3 per cent of the shares which track Dell’s [...]
Cake Box leaves a sweet taste in wake of upbeat projection October 15, 2018 Cake Box's shares climbed today after the firm posted an upbeat outlook on its sales and profits. Shares in the cream cake specialist jumped more than eight per cent in morning trading, amid the news that it was expecting profits for the full year to be ahead of current market forecasts. The retailer is projecting revenue [...]