‘Bond market tantrum risks’: Gilt traders brace for Labour leftward pivot as Starmer future uncertain
Paperchase puts administrators on standby – but ‘interested parties’ in talks January 17, 2023 Stationery outfit Paperchase has put administrators on standby as it scrambles to find new financial backers. Sky News’ Mark Kleinman has reported that Begbies Traynor has been lined up to handle any potential insolvency. The firm has been bruised and battered by the pandemic and changes to the high street, though City sources told Kleinman [...]
Tesco launches clubcard data app – and reveals the nation’s favourite meal deal January 17, 2023 Retail giant Tesco has confirmed the nation’s most popular meal deal as it expands its Clubcard service with its own year-in-review tool, following a wealth of outlets and online platforms in presenting users with their personal data for viral appeal. Named Clubcard Unpacked, it will show users a raft of data gathered by the retailer [...]
Ocado: Annual revenue dives to £2.2bn but up on pre-pandemic level as retailer sees strong festive trade January 17, 2023 Online grocery retailer Ocado saw its revenue dive to £2.2bn in 2022, down 3.8 per cent from the previous year, but up by 40 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The online grocery delivery giant managed to claw back some growth with postive Christmas and New Year trading updates. It’s rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s [...]
How Gaucho’s boss has turned the once-troubled steakhouse into a success story January 17, 2023 Martin Williams – the man behind M Restaurants – and his partners pulled Gaucho out of administration in 2018. Since then he’s turned the brand into one of the hospitality industry’s shining lights, with profits up and expansion continuing. We ask him how he’s done it. ASK regular restaurant-goers what their biggest bug bear is [...]
Biscuit lovers help lift Fortnum & Mason’s back from the brink January 16, 2023 Fortnum & Mason has returned to profitability following two successive years of losses. The historic British department store and grocer reported an operating profit of £6.1m on sales of £187m when its year ended on 10 July 2022. This marks a dramatic turnaround from the £2.7m loss the luxury food store posted in its previous [...]
Food in 30 minutes: Sainsbury’s is latest to strike delivery deal with on-demand app Just Eat January 16, 2023 Sainsbury’s shoppers can prepare for groceries at the doorstep in just 30 minutes after as Britain’s second largest supermarket struck a deal delivery app with Just Eat. With the Just Eat app, customers will be able to order items from Sainsbury’s and have them arrive at their doorstep in under half-an-hour. The on-demand service will [...]
Marks and Spencer shells out £480m as it revamps UK stores in bid to become leading ‘omnichannel’ retailer January 16, 2023 Marks and Spencer (M&S) is to plough nearly £0.5bn into an accelerated UK-wide investment drive which will result in 20 new larger and improved stores across the UK in the next financial year. The retailer also aims to create over 3,400 new jobs whilst providing shoppers with a “seamless” customer experience. M&S said it was [...]
Matalan deal done but founder Hargreaves won’t be coming back January 16, 2023 A long-awaited debt-for-equity swap which will save retailer Matalan has been confirmed – but founder John Hargreaves, who has been around the business for forty years, will not be part of the new management structure. Hargreaves had tried to put a bid together with Elliot Advisers to take over the business. But a host of [...]
Gaucho to open Covent Garden restaurant as steak success continues January 16, 2023 COVENT GARDEN has been the home of ballerinas, opera singers and street performers for more than a century – and it will soon add Argentinian cowboys to its cast with the opening of a new outpost of steakhouse favourite Gaucho. The man behind the group, Rare Restaurants’ boss Martin Williams, told City A.M. he would [...]
British retailers cheer Christmas sales, but City analysts warn of coming storm January 15, 2023 Britain’s largest retailers kicked off 2023 strongly last week, posting better than expected Christmas sales, signalling the consumer is holding up a bit better than feared. Tesco’s like for like sales were 7.9 per cent higher, while Marks and Spencer pocketed a 7.2 per cent rise. Sainsbury’s also posted record Christmas sales. Those bumper numbers, [...]