Shares spike at Royal Mail despite ‘material loss’ in 2020 September 8, 2020 Royal Mail’s share price jumped more than 12 per cent this morning, as the postal service said its revenue had risen during the first half of the year thanks to a boom in online shopping. Royal Mail said it believes revenue could be £75m to £150m higher for the fiscal year 2020/21 if the UK [...]
Fever-Tree shares lose fizz as bar closures bite September 8, 2020 Fever-Tree’s share price slipped more than five per cent as markets opened this morning, after lockdown-enforced bar and pub closures left the brand too reliant on supermarket sales. Overall revenue fell 11 per cent year on year in the six months to the end of June, dropping to £104.2m from £117.3m. In the UK a [...]
JD Sports scraps dividend as Covid-19 footfall slump hits profit September 8, 2020 JD Sports today said it would scrap its interim dividend after the sportswear brand reported a sharp fall in profit and warned of the continued impact of lower footfall. The figures JD Sports posted revenue of £2.5bn in the 26 weeks to 1 August, down 6.5 per cent on the same period last year. Pre-tax [...]
UK retail sector shows ‘promising’ signs of recovery in August September 8, 2020 UK retailers showed “promising” signs of recovery last month as sales jumped, the latest research showed. Retail sales increased 4.7 per cent on a like-for-like basis compared to August last year, when they had decreased 0.8 per cent. Total sales were up 3.9 per cent last month, against a decline of 0.4 per cent last [...]
Brits ignore PM’s diet plea as spending on takeaways surges September 8, 2020 Worried about the nation’s weight, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched an anti-obesity drive in July. But the latest spending data suggests Britons resoundingly ignored his advice. Spending on takeaways and fast food jumped 20.7 per cent year on year in August, according to Barclaycard data released today. That was the biggest rise since the measure [...]
Central London footfall jumps as office workers start to return September 7, 2020 Retail footfall in central London jumped last week as workers began returning to the office, in a sign of hope for struggling businesses in the capital, the latest research showed. Footfall increased 4.1 per cent across inner London high streets compared to the previous week as firms began to welcome employees back to the office. [...]
Amazon fined by UK watchdog over late documents in Deliveroo probe September 7, 2020 Amazon has earned a slap on the wrist from UK regulators after it failed to meet a deadline for vital documents, as part of a long-running probe into its stake in Deliveroo. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today fined Amazon £55,000, after it was forced to delay its investigation of Amazon’s purchase of a [...]
Soho jazz club Ronnie Scott’s to reopen this month September 7, 2020 London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s will reopen for live music performances this month after an initial attempt in August was put on ice following changes to coronavirus restrictions. The Soho venue will open on 19 September for live concerts, and has also reopened its upstairs area as a cocktail bar at weekends. Ronnie Scott’s had [...]
Pizza Express creditors back plan to close 73 restaurants and cut 1,000 jobs September 7, 2020 Pizza Express’s creditors have approved the restaurant chain’s restructuring programme, allowing it to close 73 sites, putting 1,000 jobs at risk. The company announced this morning that more than 89 per cent of creditors voted for its company voluntary arrangement (CVA), surpassing the 75 per cent vote needed. The majority of landlords backed the proposals, [...]
Primark sales surge towards £2bn in post-lockdown rebound September 7, 2020 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) said today that sales at the high street chain had surged in the fourth quarter as shoppers rushed back to the high street after lockdown. Despite the three-month lockdown period, ABF said Primark was on course to make a profit of £350m this year, the top end of previous [...]