Half term: Brits to inject £4.5bn into economy with Halloween staycations October 21, 2021 Families will inject £4.5bn into the economy with half-term staycations this month. Just under half of UK families will take a short break this half-term, according to the Travelodge Holiday Index. The hotel chain found London topped the list as most popular city and Halloween-themed destination. Those looking to enjoy Halloween on a staycation can [...]
Women plan boycott of clubs after police investigate reports of spiking via injection October 21, 2021 London women have said they will boycott nightclubs following reports of spiking via injections while venues called on the Home Office to open an inquiry. Nottinghamshire police received a dozen reports of spiking via an injection, rather than contaminated drinks, since September. Police forces are also investigating reports in Glasgow, Exeter, West Yorkshire and the [...]
Gymshark director buys majority share in HERA October 21, 2021 Gymshark director and former chairman Paul Richardson has purchased the majority share in streetwear brand HERA London. Richardson has taken the position of executive chairman at the fashion firm, which aims to grow into a £100m label over the next three to five years. In his new position, Richardson will oversee company strategy, create significant [...]
‘Headaches’ for Innocent as fruit for smoothies held up at ports October 21, 2021 Innocent’s CEO Douglas Lamont has warned decisions on hiking prices of the brand’s smoothies are “imminent,” as retailers face mounting cost pressures. Speaking to CityAM, Lamont said there were “huge challenges out there,” with cost pressures and limited driver availability. “We’ve all been quite battle-hardened [after the pandemic], in terms of keeping service levels. We’re [...]
Blackstone deal bags Spanx a spanking new $1.2bn valuation October 21, 2021 Shapewear brand Spanx has bagged a $1.2bn valuation after inking a deal with investment heavyweight Blackstone. The deal will see Blackstone snap up a majority stake in the brand, though how much the private equity firm forked out for the shapewear brand is not yet known. After founding the company in 2000 with $5,000 in [...]
Rentokil revenue grows despite disinfection demand slowing October 21, 2021 Pest control and hygiene firm Rentokil Initial revenue grew over the past three months thanks to recent acquisition. The Camberley-based company reported revenue jumped 0.5 per cent to £761.9m for the third quarter of 2021. Shares dropped almost two per cent on Thursday morning, although the business said it had seen a strong performance across [...]
COP26: Scotland’s green mission as it turns whiskey into fuel October 21, 2021 Just days before Glasgow welcomes leaders from around the world to the United Nations climate summit, COP26, the founder of a Scottish biotech company is calling for action, not targets. Watch the full report.
Unilever warns for ‘elevated’ cost inflation despite growth boost in US, China and India October 21, 2021 Consumer goods giant Unilever has reported a rise in sales for the past quarter as the firm warned it expects “strongly elevated” cost inflation to continue into next year. The Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s manufacturer reported a 2.5 per cent increase in underlying sales for the third quarter of 2021. It said it was [...]
Buy Now Pay Later regulation imminent: ‘FCA very keen to be on front foot’ October 20, 2021 Government proposals to regulate the interest free Buy Now, Pay Later market are expected by the end of October, according to industry insiders. Buy now, Pay Later products have boomed in popularity in the UK over the past five years, The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry was recently estimated to have financed £3billion in [...]
Shein dubbed ‘most manipulative’ fast fashion website October 20, 2021 Fast fashion retailer Shein has been dubbed the “most manipulative” fashion website for its tactics to entice customers to make purchases. Countdown timers, exclusive subscriber discounts, trending stickers and “you might also like” all feature heavily on Shein’s websites. Rogue Media has dubbed the budget fashion brand the worst offender for so-called ‘dark patterns’. Andy [...]