Top dining chains see losses swell as inflationary pressures hammer the high street June 13, 2022 The country’s top restaurants have seen losses swell considerably in the past six months, surpassing the £800m mark. According to analysis from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, losses at the top 100 restaurants swelled 24 per cent from £673m to £832m in just the past six months shows a new study by UHY Hacker Young, [...]
650k retail jobs lost in the past five years amid fears of unfair high street tax bills ahead June 13, 2022 Some 650,000 retail jobs have been lost in the past five years, as the high street comes under threat once more with consumer spending dropping amid historic inflation. The Centre for Retail Research has found that some 645,204 retail jobs have been lost and 72,580 stores closed across the UK since 2017. High street heavyweights [...]
Garment workers in Leicester face ‘many constraints’ in accessing fair pay and conditions still June 13, 2022 The government must do more to tackle the exploitation of garment workers across the country, a report into Leicester workers has found. Garment workers in the city still face obstacles to fair pay and conditions, according to a study from the University of Nottingham and De Montfort University, commissioned by the Garment & Textile Workers [...]
Morrisons mulls sale of warehouses and fisheries in £600m deal June 12, 2022 Morrisons’ private equity owner is scouting for a buyer for its estate of warehouses, fisheries and food manufacturing hubs in a sale worth more than £600m. The New York private equity titan is mulling a sale-and-leaseback transaction in an endeavour to power returns from its £7bn takeover of the British grocer, according to a report [...]
Senior bondholders call for talks over Matalan’s future June 11, 2022 Matalan’s senior bondholders have reportedly called for talks over the retailer’s future as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite into the company. Lenders have sought the advice of financial services firm Perella Wellbeing to understand what their options are as they are set to receive a £350m payment next year, Sky News first reported. Junior [...]
English wine is fine: British producers booming despite merciless pandemic hit to hospitality June 11, 2022 The top producers of English wine have seen their turnover increase by another 4.5 per cent last year. Proceeds from British wines went from £24.3m in 2019/20 to £25.4m in 2020/21, despite sales to the hospitality sector being heavily impacted by Covid. Sales to hospitality venues and events organisers such as conferences, awards and weddings [...]
Rebranded and under new ownership: McDonald’s set to relaunch in Russia market this weekend June 10, 2022 This weekend will mark a new dawn for Russian fast-food lovers as former McDonald’s Corp restaurants reopen under new branding and ownership, more than three decades after the arrival of the Western fast-food chain in the world’s largest country. Watch the full video report.
Parkdean Resorts: £1.6bn sale of holiday park giant stalled over slow UK growth concerns June 9, 2022 The UK economy’s slowing growth is reported to have stalled the £1.6bn sale of Parkdean Resorts following a sixth month auction process. The holiday parks operator and its owner Onex Corporation took the decision to call off the move amid concerns about a possible UK recession, and its impact on the staycation market. This week, [...]
On the rocks: Inflation puts pressure on grocers’ relationships with suppliers June 9, 2022 Tensions are escalating between the country’s retailers and their suppliers, according to research on behalf of the independent groceries regulator. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of suppliers said they had experienced being refused by a retailer to consider a request for a cost price increase or an unreasonable delay in concluding such a [...]
Private healthcare giant Mediclinic rejects £3.4bn offer from consortium June 9, 2022 Private hospital operator Mediclinic has rejected a £3.4bn takeover approach from a consortium including billionaire luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert. In an update on the London Stock Exchange, the Mediclinic board confirmed that it received an unsolicited and conditional proposal from a consortium on 26 May 2022. The consortium consisted of South African investment firm [...]