Top of the shops: Asos sales growth set to continue due to lockdown gains April 1, 2021 Asos is set to report a further jump in earnings and sales as continuing lockdown restrictions have kept consumers shopping online. Revenue is expected to jump 22 per cent to around £1.95bn when it updates shareholders on its trading performance for the half year to February. Earnings are also expected to surge 135 per cent [...]
Next pauses Myanmar production after year of strong online sales April 1, 2021 Next has paused its production orders from Myanmar, it’s boss said today, as the military coup grows more deadly. “We’re not placing any more orders at the moment, that is a big step,” CEO Simon Wolfson told Reuters. “Most of the stock that we were sourcing from Myanmar…we have alternatives in place already for that [...]
Co-op bites back at shoplifters with GPS tracking on meat April 1, 2021 The Co-op has begun attaching GPS tracking tags on meat products in a trial to bite back at shoplifters this week. Clear plastic boxes with the tracking tech built-in have been put around meat products in stores across the UK. What triggered Co-op to place GPS tracking on their items is unknown, but it is [...]
Restart grants: Councils urged to release money ‘at pace’ as £5bn fund launches April 1, 2021 Councils have been urged to release new grant funding to business owners “as soon as possible” to help boost the economy. From today eligible businesses will be able to receive up to £18,000 as part of the government’s £5bn restart grants scheme. In a letter, local authorities have been told by government ministers to “press [...]
‘Worldwide Hide’ Cadbury advert finds its audience March 31, 2021 Ahead of the Easter weekend, the confectionary brand Cadbury has significantly boosted its Ad Awareness among parents with children at home and the general population alike. As the Easter Bank Holiday looms, many parents will be wondering how best to keep their young ones entertained – and with some Covid-19 restrictions still in place, what [...]
Bet365 boss Denise Coates nets record £421m payday despite revenue fall March 31, 2021 Bet365 chief executive Denise Coates paid herself at least £421m in the year to March 2020, despite a decline in revenue in the run-up to the pandemic. Company filings show the gambling giant handed the sum to its highest-paid director, who is believed to be Coates. It is thought to be the UK’s largest ever [...]
Pub operator Fuller, Smith & Turner raises £54m through share placing March 31, 2021 Pub operator Fuller, Smith & Turner raised nearly £54m today after completing a share placing in a bid to bolster its books. The pub and hotels company said a total of 6,455,447 placing shares had been placed by its bookrunner Numis at 830 pence per share. It represents approximately a fifth of the company’s shares [...]
Glastonbury 2021: Haim, Coldplay and Jorja Smith to play livestream gig March 31, 2021 The organisers of Glastonbury today revealed plans for a “ground-breaking” livestream gig from Worthy Farm after the festival was cancelled for the second year running. Haim, Coldplay and Jorja Smith are among the acts who will perform during the five-hour extravaganza on 22 May. British favourites Wolf Alice and Kano are also named on the [...]
Boots hikes profit forecasts as pharmacy sales offset high street slump March 31, 2021 The US owner of Boots today hiked its profit forecasts for the full year as higher pharmacy sales helped offset lower footfall during lockdown. Walgreen Boots Alliance posted an 8.4 per cent increase in profit to $1bn (£725m) in the second quarter, driven by a rise in comparable pharmacy sales in the US. Revenue for [...]
H&M dives into the red and rules out dividend payment March 31, 2021 Retail giant H&M reported a loss for the December-February period this morning and confirmed it will not propose a divided at its upcoming annual general meeting. However, the Stockholm-based clothing giant did not rule out a divided later in the year. The world’s second-biggest fashion retailer pre-tax loss during the fiscal first quarter was $159m, [...]