Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury benefits as Brits turn to books as affordable treat in cost of living crunch March 15, 2023 People turning increasingly to books as an affordable hobby in the cost-of-living crisis has helped Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury hike its full-year profit outlook. The group – which is also the publisher behind Bake Off star Paul Hollywood’s latest cookbook Bake – said it was seeing surging demand for titles in print, ebook and audio, [...]
John Lewis annual partner bonus ‘at risk’ as middle class favourite takes on first CEO and faces down talk of pre-tax loss March 15, 2023 John Lewis has drafted in its first chief executive as chairman Sharon White looks to get another pair off hands on deck to help the retail group ahead of its trading update tomorrow. John Lewis Partnership, which oversees the management of department store John Lewis and upmarket grocery chain Waitrose, has appointed retail veteran Nish [...]
Zara owner sees sales soar to £28.8bn as young shoppers shrug off cost of living crisis to splash cash on latest trends March 15, 2023 The owner of high street fashion chain Zara said young shoppers remained to spend cash on the latest trends despite rising inflation and the cost of living crisis. Inditex, which also owns popular brands such as Pull&Bear and Bershka, reported a sales growth of €32.6bn (£28.8bn) up 17.5 per cent from the same period last [...]
Retail: Employment figures slump to new lows with 150,000 jobs predicted to go by end of the year March 14, 2023 Retailers were cautious about hiring extra workers in the run up to Christmas, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has claimed after ONS figures show that the number of roles were down 14,000 year on year in the last leg of 2022. “Low consumer confidence and falling sales volumes meant many retailers were more cautious in [...]
Sainsbury’s forks out £431m to buy 21 store freeholds as it looks to dump lease liabilities March 14, 2023 Sainsbury’s has secured a £430.9m deal to buy the freeholds of 21 supermarkets from real estate investment group Supermarket REIT. The grocery chain has acquired the remaining 51 per cent stake it did not already own in the Highbury and Dragon investment – which is a portfolio of stores Sainsbury’s acquired a 49 per cent [...]
Virgin Wines: Share price falls and major review announced after Christmas ‘challenges’ drink into profits March 14, 2023 Virgin Wines‘ share price tumbled this morning as the online wine bank reveals it is undertaking a full review after a shift in consumer confidence which knocked profits in the first quarter. Shares in the online wine retailer slumped 1.50 per cent when the market opened this morning as the group revealed its profits before [...]
London: West End and Knightsbridge urge Hunt to relax Sunday trading laws to bring in £350m extra March 13, 2023 The West End and Knightsbridge have urged the chancellor to relax Sunday trading restrictions and help them rake in an estimated £350m a year. The duo have submitted a joint proposal to Jeremy Hunt ahead of this week’s budget, urging the government to relax Sunday trading laws within the popular London districts in an effort [...]
Not so thirsty Thursday as Nightcap blames ‘targeted’ rail strikes for £1.2m earnings loss March 13, 2023 Cocktail bar operator Nightcap has estimated that 13 days of rail strikes over the last year has cost the company £1.2m. The bar company, which operates a number of venues across Clapham and central London, claimed rail strikers “deliberate targeting” of Thursdays and Saturdays, the most lucrative trading days for the hospitality sector, caused a [...]
TRG: Wagamama owner admits dining out will ‘never recover’ from Covid – but chains will not disappear from High Street March 13, 2023 The chief executive of Wagamama‘s owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) has claimed that dining out will never be as popular as it was pre-pandemic – but reassured chains will not disappear from the British high street altogether. “I don’t think the [casual dining] industry will never be quite as big as it was,” Andy Hornby, [...]
Alcopops out, frozen berries in: How Brits’ shopping habits are changing the inflation basket March 13, 2023 Brits are swapping alcopops for frozen fruit as the nation looks to favour more healthy and environmental options in 2023, statistics from the ONS’ inflation basket can reveal. The tool which measures consumer spending patterns has also shown that non-chart CDs, and digital compact cameras have disappeared from UK shopping lists in the past year, [...]