Profits at Lidl quadruple after ambitious expansion across UK bears fruit November 17, 2022 Profits at supermarket chain Lidl have more than quadrupled after its ambitious expansion of stores and increased customers over the year, the German retail giant said this morning. Pre-tax profits reached £41.1m in the year to February 28, surging 319 per cent from the £9.8m posted the same time last year. It also saw revenues [...]
Exclusive: Ambl app for restaurant reservations secures £2.3m cash injection November 17, 2022 A pair of childhood best friends hope to become the Uber or Gorillas of Londoners’ nights-out, after cinching £2.3m funding. Tech start-up Ambl, which was founded by Essex entrepreneurs Aaron Solomon and Jed Hackling, helps diners find an eleventh hour reservation. The app has secured £2.3m in seed capital, with investors including Jon Spiteri of [...]
24 hour city: Bromley, Vauxhall and Woolwich named as London’s nighttime enterprise zones November 17, 2022 City Hall has announced Bromley, Vauxhall and Woolwich as recipients of a new cash pot to boost high streets at night time, helping businesses stay open for longer into the night. The Mayor of London’s office said a £0.5m fund would boost the economies of these parts of London after 6pm – with a package [...]
Joules appoints administrators amid ‘overwhelming’ interest from suitors November 16, 2022 Administrators were appointed for beleaguered lifestyle retailer Joules on Wednesday, with some 1,600 staff members at risk. Will Wright, Ryan Grant and Chris Pole from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators for the high street firm, which has struggled with a slowdown in sales. Administrators from Interpath were also appointed for its developments arm and [...]
UK inflation scales to 41-year high, but analysts bet it has peaked at 11.1 per cent November 16, 2022 UK inflation has surged above the City and Bank of England’s expectations to reach a new 41 year high, but experts said it may now have peaked, official figures revealed today. Prices rose 11.1 per cent over the last year, pushing the rate a whole percentage point higher from September, according to the Office for [...]
Beaverbrooks: We don’t expect government to solve all of firms’ problems November 16, 2022 A wedding “catch-up” boom post-pandemic has driven momentum for jeweller Beaverbrooks, its top boss told CityA.M. After the Covid-19 lockdowns saw many couples put plans to get hitched on hold, the easing of restrictions has seen a boom in plans for nuptials, driving ring sales, Anna Blackburn said. The pandemic spurred some couples to get [...]
London’s last dance? Night czar Amy Lamé talks clubs facing lights out November 16, 2022 Night czar Amy Lamé talks to CityAM about London’s nightlife facing lights out, the capital as a 24 hour city and feeling like a pandemic scapegoat. “Gosh, how long have you got?” Lamé says with a laugh, when asked what the biggest challenge facing London’s night time economy is currently, in a bustling Soho coffee [...]
Demand for corporate Christmas parties through the roof as offices ‘make up’ for Covid November 16, 2022 Work Christmas do’s are back with a bang this year, as City bar and pub chains report strong bookings. Publicans are excited about the industry’s first full Christmas trading season in three years, void of Covid-9 restrictions. Although consumers are caught in the teeth of what’s set to be a protracted recession, Young’s boss, Simon [...]
Pubgoers face pricier pints as Heineken to lift wholesale prices next year November 16, 2022 Heineken will hike its wholesale price of draught and packaged beer for its pub customers by 15.8 per cent next year. The brewer’s customers in the UK will face higher prices from 16 January. It is up to retail and hospitality businesses to decide how much to pass on the extra costs to shoppers and [...]
Deliveroo closes Australian business amid ‘challenging economic conditions’ November 16, 2022 Deliveroo is leaving the Australian market, citing ‘challenging economic conditions’ and fierce competition. The delivery giant said it had been a “difficult decision”, but “achieving a sustainable position of leadership in the market is not possible without a disproportionate level of investment which would have highly uncertain returns”. “Deliveroo, like all other companies, is now [...]