Marston’s swings back to profit as pub chain anticipates Christmas without Covid limits December 6, 2022 Marston’s has welcomed being in the black, after trade at its pub estate recovered from the side effects of Covid-19 lockdowns this year. In results for the year to 1 October, the community pub operator posted a total profit before tax of £163.4 m, versus a loss of £171.1m the year prior. The operator of around [...]
London venues warn they will haemorrhage sales if rail strikes go ahead this Christmas December 5, 2022 London restaurants have warned they will haemorrhage sales should planned railway strikes go ahead this month, as union bosses rejected a new pay offer over the week. Searcys champagne bar and restaurant chain, which has venues at the Gherkin and St Pancras International station, said it was worried it would take a 30 per cent [...]
Searcys boss: London venues set for ‘real reality check’ in the new year with spending slowdown warnings December 5, 2022 London restaurants face a “real reality check” come January and February, as consumers will pull back from dining out after Christmas, the boss of champagne bar chain Searcys has warned. Diners will “want to batten down the hatches” next year after enjoying their first Christmas free of Covid measures in three years, with the cost [...]
Christmas shopping: Sainsbury’s invests extra £50m into battling price inflation December 5, 2022 Sainsbury’s has announced it will pump an additional £50m into its cost of living value plan by March 2023. The supermarket said it has invested in a Christmas roast dinner at less than £4 a head, as part of a £15m investment plan to keep prices affordable on festive staples. Low prices and new special [...]
Sold! Irn-Bru owner snaps up Boost Drinks December 5, 2022 Beverage giant A.G. Barr has acquired energy drink maker Boost Drinks for an initial consideration of £20m. The Irn-Bru and Rubicon owner said it was acquiring Boost from its founder Simon Gray and his wife Alison, who will continue to lead the business. The London-listed drink firm said there was “significant potential” for additional growth [...]
Capital People: Meet the Bond Street watch dealer serving Daniel Craig and the uber-rich December 2, 2022 London watch dealer Raj Jain has an interesting backstory, having bought and sold rare, antique and luxury watches in both the UK and Mumbai since the 1980s. An industry stalwart, he has been based in London’s fabulous and famous Bond Street area for almost three decades with a watch shop that’s “like a museum” but [...]
Joules bought out of insolvency by Next with 19 stores to close December 1, 2022 Next has bought fashion retailer Joules out of insolvency, beating other high street names in a bidding war. The high street chain called in administrators a few weeks ago, with 1,600 jobs hanging in the balance. Now, stalwart Next has confirmed it has emerged victorious in a battle for the brand, forking out £34m for [...]
Brexit adds £200 to Brits’ food bill, LSE study finds December 1, 2022 Brexit piled on an average of £210 extra to household food bills in two years, a fresh research paper has found. UK consumers paid a £5.8bn price tag in additional grocery costs, over the two years to the end of 2021, a study from the London School of Economics has found. As low-income households fork [...]
Hotel Chocolat in the red amid ‘challenging’ current trading landscape December 1, 2022 Chocolate maker Hotel Chocolat has posted a £9.4m loss but said “people are still treating themselves with affordable luxury” despite a cost of living crisis. Its full-year results came in contrast to the previous year’s, where the London-listed firm posted a £3.7m profit after tax. “It goes without saying that the current environment is challenging [...]
Exclusive: Poundland owner opens 3,000th Pepco store amid discount frenzy December 1, 2022 Discount giant Pepco has opened its 3,00th store, with a new Berlin site, as momentum swells for affordable goods while households tighten their belts. The owner of the Pepco, Dealz and Poundland brands told CityA.M. its 3,000th Pepco store opened its doors today, with plans to roll out hundreds more stores in the near future. [...]