Food banks struggle to keep up with 99 per cent of all free food points seeing surge in demand as cost of living crisis rages April 5, 2022 Thousands more households are turning to the UK’s food banks for the first time as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, according to new research shared this morning. A new survey by community giving platform Neighbourly and Aldi – which work together to distribute surplus food from the supermarket’s stores – almost all food banks (99 per [...]
Supermarket till sales down four per cent last month as online shopping and cost of living hit hard April 5, 2022 Supermarket till sales continue to feel the impact of online buying brought about by the pandemic, with a four per cent fall last month. A new study indicates that online sales also fell almost 20 per cent from last year, as the cost of living crisis continues to change consumer habits. The report by NielsenIQ [...]
Morrisons’ new owners green light plans to sell £500m worth of property April 5, 2022 Morrisons’ new owners have rubber stamped plans to sell a £500m property portfolio including manufacturing and distribution facilities. According to Sky News, the supermarket is preparing to appoint advisers to oversee the disposal of certain sites across the country. It comes just months after New York’s Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) took over the grocer [...]
Double-digit footfall boost for London and South East as shops fear cost of living crunch will deter customers April 5, 2022 Retail footfall saw a double-digit boost last month in London and the South East, thanks to a bout of sunshine. London and the south East saw a 11.3 per cent rise in footfall to retail destinations in March. This represented footfall down 22 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. Across the UK, footfall was up 9.9 [...]
London shoppers evacuated from Oxford Street after gas leak April 4, 2022 Shoppers have been evacuated from Oxford St after emergency services have shut down the West End shopping destination. The Met closed several streets in the area on Monday afternoon, including Poland Street, Berwick Street, Oxford Street, Noel Street, Wardour Street and Great Marlborough Street. In a tweet, the police force said: “Please can we make [...]
57 salmonella cases confirmed as Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs recalled April 4, 2022 The UK’s food authority has confirmed 57 cases of salmonella, mostly among young children, with suspected links to Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs. Confectioner Ferrero has recalled batches of its individual 20g eggs and eggs that come in packs of three with a best before date of between 11 July 2022 and 7 October 2022. The [...]
Fever pitch: Battle for Ted Baker intensifies as new owners set to face post-pandemic high street ‘challenges’ April 4, 2022 Fashion chain Ted Baker has seen its share price boom after kicking off a formal sale process, with a third US private equity proposal. Analysts said the proposal comes as valuations of British companies have fallen in the wake of the pandemic and Brexit. Ted Baker has received an improved proposal from Sycamore, in addition [...]
Bidding war looming: Ted Baker launches formal sale process as retail giant receives yet another takeover offer April 4, 2022 Ted Baker has launched a formal sale process after receiving a third takeover move by US private equity suitor Sycamore Partners. Shares in the company jumped on Monday morning after the fashion brand said it had also received another “unsolicited” approach by an unnamed party. It comes a week after Ted Baker rejected two takeover [...]
Hospitality firms receive less than half of £635m Omicron support package despite fierce struggle to survive April 4, 2022 New analysis has found that hospitality firms in England affected by Omicron have received less than half of the £635m support package promised by the Government. The Treasury announced funding in December to provide a lifeline for businesses suffering from mass cancellations and declining footfall over the Christmas period when the Omicron variant of coronavirus [...]
BrewDog chairman picks row with HR adviser over employee platform April 4, 2022 BrewDog’s chairman Allan Leighton picked a row with the HR firm brought in to improve relations between staff and management. Leighton accused consultant Hand & Heart of “amplifying attacks” on the management team, after the HR firm set up a platform where BrewDog workers could submit their feedback regarding the company. In a letter to [...]