Trump travel bans causes slump in US tourism March 20, 2017 Inward travel and tourism will contribute less than usual to the US economy this year, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) have said. The WTTC’s Impact Research report for 2017 shows that while the US travel and tourism sector is the worlds biggest, forecasted growth in the country’s travel and tourism industry is likely to [...]
Roboshop: How Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its shops March 20, 2017 Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its stores in a bid to improve efficiency and customer service. The supermarket is rolling out a system from tech firm Blue Yonder that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict exactly what is needed in each of Morrisons' 491 stores. Read more: Amazon is looking for [...]
Matalan expands abroad with shops in Malta March 20, 2017 Matalan is expanding abroad with the opening of two new stores in Malta. The retailer currently has 227 stores in the UK, and the two stores in Malta add to Matalan's international portfolio, which comprises 23 stores. The new outlets at The Strand, Sliema and Zabbar Road, Fgura, will create jobs for around 60 staff. Matalan [...]
Travelodge is building a huge flagship site in London in addition to 15 new locations across the UK March 20, 2017 Travelodge is building its largest ever hotel in London to act as a flagship site for the City. The budget hotel chain's new build will create nearly 400 rooms in the heart of central London, and chief executive Peter Gowers called it a "milestone" for the company's growth. It is expected to open in 2018 on Middlesex Street near the Gherkin. Travelodge [...]
Marks and Spencer pulls advertising from Google over extremist content March 20, 2017 Marks and Spencer has become the latest firm to pull its advertising from Google after reports that it has been allowing adverts for UK companies to appear on extremist websites. A recent investigation by the Times showed that UK advertisements, from the likes of Sainsbury's, RBS and the UK government, have been posted on YouTube [...]
Mary Berry to launch new cakes with Finsbury Food Group March 20, 2017 Finsbury Food Group will be launching a new cake range with Mary Berry in the second half, but its share price fell at the open after it gave a cautious outlook on the year ahead. The figures For the 26 weeks ending 31 December, group revenue was flat at £156.6m. Profit before tax rose 5.3 [...]
Lack of online experience at major luxury brands undermining growth opportunities March 20, 2017 Lack of senior experience in ecommerce and emerging markets could be holding back profitability at top luxury brands, according to research by executive search firm DHR. The study of the world’s top 50 luxury goods businesses found that just five per cent of board members have experience in ecommerce, and only 16 per cent have [...]
More gloom for retail parks and shopping centres but High Street footfall bounces back March 20, 2017 High Street footfall rose 0.1 per cent in February, compared to a drop of 2.9 per cent in the same period last year. The figures, released in Springboard’s monthly footfall report, also showed a small recovery in overall footfall, which fell by 1 per cent in February compared to 1.3 per cent in January. However, [...]
Next expected to reveal first profits slip since financial crisis March 19, 2017 High Street retailer Next is expected to post the first fall in its annual profits since the financial crisis this week. The company is likely to announce that pre-tax profits fell to about £792m when Next releases its results for the year to January 2017 on Thursday. This number could range between £785m and £799m [...]
Unilever is exploring a £6bn sale of spreads brands such as Flora and Stork after Kraft Heinz deal collapse March 19, 2017 Unilever is exploring the sale of some of its most iconic brands after coming under shareholder pressure over a $143bn takeover bid from Kraft Heinz. Paul Polman, the FTSE 100 firm’s chief executive, is drawing up cost-cutting and restructuring plans, which could lead to the sale of its margarine and spreads business. The division, comprising [...]