Pret A Manger sees dwindling City sales amid latest Covid-19 wave December 23, 2021 Pret A Manger has seen dwindling transactions amid the latest Covid-19 wave, which has hit its City stores hardest. Sales in the café chain’s store in the City have dropped by nearly a third, according to the Office for National Statistics, the lowest level Pret has experienced since late August. Pret, which operates around 400 [...]
More competitive travel prices on the horizon? Wizz Air poaches Gatwick take-off slots December 23, 2021 Budget carrier Wizz Air is set to be taking off from Gatwick next spring, after winning the rights at Britain’s second largest airport. It puts Wizz in a strong position going into the new year, after several years of battling rivals Ryanair and easyJet in the affordable European short-haul market. As travel prices rise alongside [...]
Paddy Power and Betfair owner Flutter snaps up Italian gaming giant Sisal for cool £1.62bn December 23, 2021 Paddy Power and Betfair owner Flutter Entertainment has agreed a £1.62bn deal to buy Italian online gaming group Sisal. Flutter’s acquisition of Milan-based Sisal from buyout firm CVC Capital Partners will add to its existing presence in Italy through PokerStars and Betfair, giving it a combined online market share of 20 per cent. Sisal employs [...]
Last order: Number of pubs in England and Wales continues to fall as 400 more disappeared this year December 23, 2021 The number of pubs calling last orders flatlined despite the toll of the pandemic, with more than 400 pubs disappearing from communities in England and Wales, according to new figures. New analysis has revealed the number of pubs across England and Wales in 2021 was largely unchanged from last year. Analysis of official Government data [...]
West End calls for ‘tangible relief’ as footfall hit by Omicron messaging December 22, 2021 Footfall was down 27 per cent on 2019 levels in the West End yesterday, despite the crucial build up to Christmas. Although footfall was up 10 per cent compared with the previous week, businesses have struggled to see the Christmas shopping momentum they anticipated this year. The West End has been hit by messaging to [...]
Tighter Covid rules in Wales will take pubs ‘into sub-viable trading’ December 22, 2021 Additional Covid restrictions from Boxing Day “will only make matters worse” for pubs and restaurants, the Welsh hospitality sector has cautioned. UKHospitality Cymru has warned. No more than six people will be allowed to meet in a group in pubs, cinemas and restaurants from 26 December, it was announced on Wednesday. What’s more, two metre [...]
Brits ‘substantially’ more likely to experience food shortages than EU neighbours December 22, 2021 Brits are “substantially” more likely to have experienced food shortages in recent weeks in comparison with the UK’s European neighbours, according to the latest figures. Some 56 per cent of the UK have been met with fewer options for food, clothing, certain toys and electronic devices, a study by YouGov has found, as the country’s [...]
Gyms plead for government aid as fitness firms feel weight of Omicron December 22, 2021 Gym bosses have pleaded for government help after Omicron has caused attendance numbers at exercise classes to plummet in recent weeks. A work from home directive and scientists’ messaging to avoid socialising in the weeks before Christmas has caused people to shun fitness firms, one boss told CityA.M. While pubs and restaurants are eligible for [...]
Selfridges sale to Thai department store owner ‘days away’ December 22, 2021 An announcement of the sale of Selfridges to a Thai department store giant is merely days away, it has been reported. Central Group, which is Thailand’s largest department store owner, is reportedly inches away from finalising a £4bn deal to acquire the UK luxury store chain. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that [...]
Sony-Zee merger to form Indian entertainment giant to rival Disney and Netflix December 22, 2021 Sony’s Indian arm has reached a deal with Indian rival Zee Entertainment to create the second biggest entertainment network in India. The Indian unit of the Japanese conglomerate will merge 75 television channels, film assets and two streaming platforms with Zee Entertainment, in a bid to compete with streaming rivals Netflix and Disney in India. [...]