Pets at Home revenue tops £1bn but retailer warns on profit as stockpiling dwindles May 21, 2020 Pets at Home full-year revenue topped £1bn for the first time in the year to March but the retailer’s share price fell as it warned that a drop in stockpiling demand could impact future profit. The pet shop chain said it expects first-half pre-tax profit to be sharply lower than last year, as the spike [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread taps investors for £1bn May 21, 2020 Premier Inn owner Whitbread will tap investors for £1bn to help it weather the coronavirus crisis while its hotels and restaurants are closed. Whitbread, which also owns Beefeater and pub chain Brewers Fayre, said the rights issue would help strengthen its balance sheet as the firm expects £80m of cash outflows a month while its [...]
Deliveroo expands Majestic Wine partnership during lockdown May 20, 2020 Deliveroo has expanded its partnership with Majestic Wine, adding an extra 50 stores to the app during the coronavirus lockdown. The platform will now provide deliveries from a total of 80 Majestic Wine stores across the UK, and has expanded the range of wine and spirits available to buy, to cater for a surge in [...]
UK supermarkets win ATM business rates legal battle May 20, 2020 UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Co-op will not have to pay business rates on ATMs at their stores after winning a long-running legal battle. The Supreme Court judged today that retailers were not liable to pay business rates on ATMs inside or outside stores. The ruling against the Valuation Office Agency will result in [...]
UK inflation: What are people buying during coronavirus lockdown? May 20, 2020 There was further confirmation of the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis this morning when new figures revealed a slump in inflation. The UK inflation rate tumbled to just 0.8 per cent in April, down from 1.5 per cent the previous month and marking the lowest level since August 2016, according to the Office for [...]
Matalan founder sues PwC over tax haven advice May 20, 2020 The founder of budget fashion retailer Matalan is suing PwC, claiming the accounting giant gave him bad advice on how to avoid paying taxes in the UK when he moved to Monaco. Multimillionare John Hargreaves said PwC had been negligent in its advice on his relocation from England to Monaco, which would have enabled him [...]
McDonald’s reveals which drive-thru restaurants have reopened today May 20, 2020 McDonald’s has revealed which restaurants have reopened today as the fast food giant aims to be operating all drive-thru sites by early June. The company said it has a total of 33 UK restaurants open for drive-thru orders from today, with some also offering a delivery service. A further five UK sites are open for [...]
Superdrug launches UK coronavirus test to check for antibodies May 20, 2020 Superdrug has launched a UK coronavirus test to allow the general public to check whether they have already had Covid-19. The high street retailer will sell the coronavirus antibody test, which it said is accurate and reliable, through its Online Doctor service for £69 from today. The UK coronavirus test will not be on sale [...]
Marks & Spencer shares rise on coronavirus revamp, despite blow to profit May 20, 2020 Marks & Spencer’s full-year profit sank 21 per cent as it took a £212m hit from coronavirus at the end of March, the retailer revealed today. However, investors pushed M&S’ share price up 4.6 per cent to 89.8p as the pandemic forced the British high street brand into an overhaul to save over £1bn. The [...]
Pizza Express to reopen 13 London restaurants for delivery May 19, 2020 Casual dining chain Pizza Express will reopen 13 of its London sites for delivery from next week. The Italian restaurant chain is preparing to reopen sites across the capital including in Balham, Fulham and Notting Hill where it has typically seen high customer demand. Pizza Express will launch with a “slightly edited” menu and with [...]