Moonpig sales fall after lockdowns but card biz remains confident in gift market June 29, 2022 Moonpig has posted plummeting sales as shoppers started buying gifts and greetings cards elsewhere once bricks-and-mortar shops reopened once more over the past year. In full year results to 30 April 2022, the firm admitted its group revenue had tumbled 17.3 per cent year-on-year, standing at £304.3m versus £368.2m in 2021. The online retailer pointed [...]
Cocktail of costs: Two thirds of hospitality businesses not turning a profit June 28, 2022 Just over one third of hospitality businesses in the UK are currently turning a profit amid a cocktail of hefty cost increases. Only 37 per cent of restaurant and bar firms are profitable, according to figures from industry bodies the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping and UKHospitality. Bosses pointed to sky-high [...]
Boots’ owner ditches plans for £5bn sale of chemist as market conditions ‘beyond our control’ June 28, 2022 Boots’ US owner has confirmed it has given up on its ambitions to sell the UK chemist after a beleaguered sales process. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has opted to retain ownership of Boots, with the firm citing “unexpected and dramatic change” felt by the global financial markets in the past few months. A statement from [...]
Incoming CMA chair warns job cuts could make it harder to take on cases that protect consumers from high prices June 28, 2022 The competition watchdog’s ability to get the best deal for British consumers could be endangered by job cuts, the government’s chosen candidate for chair of the body has warned. The government intends to slash 91,000 civil service jobs over the next three years, in an endeavour to bring headcount back to 2016 levels. Ministers’ preferred [...]
Supermarket shoppers turn to frozen and canned meats in a bid to slim cost of weekly shop June 28, 2022 Supermarket shoppers are swapping out traditional meat products for cheaper frozen and canned alternatives, in a bid to cut down on costs. According to freshly published data from NielsenIQ, volume sales across all categories at UK supermarkets dropped 5.5 per cent over the past four weeks. With household bills sky-rocketing in recent months, shoppers have [...]
UK food standards under threat after years of Brexit chaos and Covid upheaval June 28, 2022 The UK is facing “significant risks” to its food standards following two years of upheaval, according to a new report. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) released the first of what will be an annual report highlighting changes and challenges facing the UK’s food system. The two agencies said it comes [...]
Return of in-person events gives Hyve Group a faster than anticipated revenue recovery June 27, 2022 Hyve Group said today that its 2022 financial year saw a faster than anticipated revenue recovery due to strong customer demand for in-person events following the pandemic. Shares rose by 5 per cent today as a result. From April 1 to June 24, the group said it ran all nine of its scheduled in-person events, [...]
Cake Box plans to swell to 200 stores after e-commerce boost gives profits a 83 per cent jump June 27, 2022 Cream cake retailer Cake Box has outlined plans to open more stores as it reported a pre-tax profit of £7.7m for the latest financial year. This marked a 83.3 per cent jump from the previous years as it continued its post-pandemic recovery. Revenue rose by 50.7 per cent from £21.9m to £33m. Neil Sachdev, non-executive [...]
High Street footfall nosedives by staggering 25 per cent with London commuters and foreign travellers not returning June 27, 2022 High street footfall fell 25 per cent in May, from the previous month, according to RSM UK’s analysis of the latest data from Datscha, published this morning. London continues to be hit by hybrid working with less workers commuting into the city, and international and business travel is still not back at full capacity. Whereas [...]
Fast-growing spectacles boutique Kirk & Kirk eyes UK-wide launch with chain of pop-up shops June 27, 2022 Kirk & Kirk – founded by husband and wife duo Jason and Karen Kirk 30 years ago – confirmed this morning it is planning to make its first “foray into retail” this autumn. The British eyewear designer favoured by celebrities including Robert Downey Jr revealed plans to launch a chain of pop-up shops after seeing [...]