Hunt unveils measures to ensure customers get fair pricing June 28, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has drafted an action plan with authorities to ensure customers are being facing fair prices during the cost of living crisis. Hunt sat down with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and the regulators for the energy, water and communications sectors, early on Wednesday 28 June at 11 Downing Street. He was [...]
Clearpay jobs at risk as BNPL firm winds down EU business June 28, 2023 Buy-now pay-later giant Clearpay is shutting down its EU operations and could lay off all its European staff, City A.M. can reveal.
Brands in London “suffering”: Fresh calls to scrap ‘tourist tax’ amid Mulberry losses June 28, 2023 Fresh calls have been made to reinstate VAT-free shopping for international tourists, after the chief of Mulberry warned its profits have been hit hard by it as they ditch London for Paris and Milan. Pre-tax profit at the British handbag maker fell to £13.2m in the year to April, down from £21.3m the prior year. [...]
Revolution share price soars 58 per cent after Boohoo coup takes ugly turn at AGM June 28, 2023 Boohoo blasted the board of Revolution and called for the removal of three senior members after its rocky AGM yesterday saw the trio all ousted – then reinstated. The ugly row between Boohoo, which has a 26.6 per cent stake in the brand, continued late last night, as it led a successful vote to kick [...]
Mulberry profit takes a hit as luxury brand invests in global expansion June 28, 2023 Mulberry’s pretax profit slumped in the year, despite an uptick in revenue, as increasing costs weighed on performance. In the year to April, the luxury handbag maker reported an underlying profit of £2.5m, down from £14.6m last year. On a reported basis its pretax profit was £13.2m, which took into account impairment reversals on some [...]
Boots to shut 300 UK stores despite stronger sales June 28, 2023 Boots has said it will shut 300 of its stores across Britain over the next year. The historic retailer revealed the raft of closures despite posting stronger sales over the latest quarter. The move, which it said will impact stores in close proximity to other sites, will reduce its store estate from 2,200 to 1,900 [...]
Budget Britain: Inflation forces families to trade down and opt for staycations June 28, 2023 Britons are trading down to cheaper products and are opting to holiday at home in response to rampant inflation and higher interest rates squeezing their budgets, new research out today shows. Some 40 per cent of families have been buying more value or own brand products in 2023, according to analysis from consultancy KPMG. The [...]
David Lloyd could be put up for sale as owners eye £2bn price tag June 27, 2023 TDR Capital is reportedly mulling a sale of its health and fitness business David Lloyd Leisure. The private equity firm is understood to have drafted in Morgan Stanley to advise on potential suitors for the business, Sky News reported. A sale will only be considered by if it draws a “sufficiently attractive valuation” for TDR, [...]
Own-brand buys and No7 skincare boosts sales for Boots June 27, 2023 Boots has revealed a surge in online shoppers and people opting for own-brand labels has driven up sales over the latest quarter. The pharmacy and retail chain said its own ranges have been flying off the shelves as consumers hunt down value. It came as its US owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), revealed its net [...]
Supermarkets behaving badly: Asda and Morrisons bosses back ‘transparent’ fuel pricing model June 27, 2023 Supermarkets bosses have been grilled by MPs on prices at the pump and agreed to consider entering into a fuel model which would give more transparency. The government has been mulling a scheme whereby petrol stations would have to share live prices in efforts to bring more price transparency for drivers – a similar system [...]