Toby Carvery owner Mitchells & Butlers launches £351m ‘critical’ cash raise after liquidity deteriorates February 22, 2021 Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the owner of Toby Cavery and All Bar One, this morning launched a “critical” bid to raise £351m after the pub group’s liquidity “deteriorated significantly” during the pandemic. M&B said the open offer, which has been underwritten by majority shareholder Odyzean, will enable the company to reduce its unsecured debt and [...]
Lockdown leaders: Aldi and M&S voted UK’s top in-store supermarkets February 22, 2021 Lockdown leaders: Aldi and M&S voted UK’s top in-store supermarkets
Cake giant Finsbury Food has little cause for celebration as revenue drops sharply February 22, 2021 One of the UK’s biggest cake makers has seen group revenue fall by more than four per cent to £152.9m in the six months leading up to Christmas, the group announced this morning. Finsbury Food Group’s profit before tax also dropped 16.1 per cent to £7.4m as the company felt the effects of coronavirus lockdowns. [...]
Sunday Sitdown: Time Out boss Julio Bruno on the ‘renaissance’ of cities February 21, 2021 While no one could have predicted the outbreak of coronavirus, few companies have been blighted by worse timing than Time Out. In the face of shrinking revenue from its core events listings business, the media group has spent recent years shifting its focus to a new offering of food and culture markets. But when the [...]
Discounter Pepco sets sights on Europe with 400 store openings February 19, 2021 The owner of British discount retailer Poundland has targeted 400 store openings across Europe in the upcoming financial year as it expands its Pepco brand, its boss said on Friday. The group opened 327 new stores in the previous financial year, taking the total to more than 3,000 across 15 countries. Italian confidence Pepco entered [...]
Arcadia collapse leaves bigger than expected £510m pension deficit February 19, 2021 The collapse of high street empire Arcadia has left a £510m pension deficit, some £200m more than previous estimates. Arcadia collapsed in December, becoming the largest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and leaving thousands jobless. The news of a bigger-than-expected pension deficit, first reported by the Retail Gazette, paints a starker picture for individuals affected [...]
January retail sales drop 8.2 per cent as third lockdown takes high street ‘to the edge of the abyss’ February 19, 2021 Retail sales volumes dropped by 8.2 per cent last month, compared to December, as the third national lockdown affected sales across the sector. All sectors experienced a decline in sales last month, except non-store retailers and food stores, reporting growth of 3.7 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively, compared to the final month of [...]
Before the Bell: All eyes are on UK retail sales and PMI numbers today February 19, 2021 Sentiment in stocks this week has been slowly eroded as the bullish mood that circulated on Monday has since turned a little bearish. At the start of the week, the outlook was upbeat on account of optimism connected to the vaccine rollout. The UK confirmed that it was on track with its vaccination distribution scheme [...]
PureGym CEO: We should be allowed to reopen ahead of high street shops February 18, 2021 PureGym CEO: We should be allowed to reopen ahead of high street shops
Asda web sales soared 76 per cent ahead of billionaire Issa brothers takeover February 18, 2021 Asda web sales soared 76 per cent in ahead of billionaire Issa brothers takeover