Made.com customers will not see return of £12m in deposits for pricey furniture December 27, 2022 Tens of thousands of Made.com customers will be left out of pocket by a total of nearly £12m, according to the homeware firm’s administrators. The London-listed sofa seller collapsed this autumn after a consumer crunch caused sales to slow, resulting in hundreds of job losses. Now, a report by PwC administrators has revealed that more [...]
Boxing Day footfall bounce for retail as West End chief calls for recovery help December 27, 2022 Retail destinations across the country reaped the rewards of a Christmas without Covid restrictions as Boxing Day sales enticed shoppers out of their houses. However, business leaders noted footfall was still below 2019 levels and called on the government to help accelerate retail’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic as it grapples with an economic downturn. [...]
Former Chancellor George Osborne ‘disappointed’ by government delay on junk food advert ban December 27, 2022 Former Chancellor George Osborne has said he would extend a sugar levy and dubbed it “disappointing” that marketing restrictions on junk food have not yet been introduced. The former Tory politician said it was “very disappointing” that restrictions on advertising food products with high fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) contents have been delayed. A ban [...]
Best of 2022: Michael Doughty on quitting football to found ethical brand Hylo Athletics December 26, 2022 In this interview first published in October 2022, former Premier League footballer Michael Doughty explains why he walked away from the game to set up sustainable sportswear brand Hylo Athletics. The longer that Michael Doughty’s playing career went on, the harder he found it to ignore the effects of climate change. “I saw way more [...]
Central London footfall collapses in run-up to Christmas as strikes hit December 25, 2022 Christmas Eve footfall in central London was almost 15 per cent down on the week before as rail strikes effectively wiped out last-minute shopping plans. December 24 is usually a bumper day for retailers as Londoners rush to pick up last-minute gifts before getting trains home, whilst Brits also flock into the capital for a [...]
Pubs closing down: Crisis for industry as more than one a day shuts doors December 24, 2022 More than 32 pubs disappeared from communities in England and Wales each month in 2022 as rocketing energy bills and staffing pressures forced businesses to shut for the final time. New analysis of official government data by real estate adviser Altus group found the overall number of pubs slid by 386 during the year. The [...]
Currys, Asos and Sainsbury’s top retail stocks this Christmas December 23, 2022 For investors looking to give their portfolios a seasonal shake-up, CityA.M. takes a look at analysts’ selections of the retail stocks to keep a close eye on in the coming weeks. Analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown chose Currys, Asos and Sainsbury’s as the three retail stocks to watch this Christmas. It comes as retailers have been [...]
Government ‘will not hesitate’ to ensure retailers give drivers fair fuel prices December 23, 2022 Fuel retailers have been threatened with state intervention over prices by the business secretary, who urged companies “to take any steps necessary” to ensure affordable prices for drivers. In a letter to retailers on Thursday, Grant Shapps said the government “will not hesitate to act to ensure competition is healthy and consumers get a fair [...]
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group agrees £340m debt terms with lender December 22, 2022 The Restaurant Group has announced an amendment and extension of its debt facilities, with a revised £340m package. On Thursday, the owner of the Wagamama and Frankie & Benny’s brands said the new deal comprised of a £220m term loan facility and a £120m revolving credit facility with its existing lenders. The new terms represented [...]
Oil, pasta and tea see largest price rises as food inflation leaves poorest worst off December 22, 2022 Budget staple grocery products have shot up considerably in price this year, as new analysis shows the most vulnerable have been hardest hit by food inflation. Some 61 per cent of people in the most deprived areas are buying less food compared with last year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]