West End property giant Shaftesbury posts ‘resilient’ retail demand ahead of investor showdown February 8, 2019 London landlord Shaftesbury said this morning that demand for retail space had been resilient over the crucial Christmas trading period, with consumers continuing to visit bars and restaurants in the firm’s West End portfolio during the festive season. The FTSE 250 group, which is bracing itself for a shareholder showdown at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) [...]
How to capitalise on China’s luxury boom February 8, 2019 As many companies experience a slowdown in China, luxury brands are surely smiling as they look at their sales performance. Last week, LVMH – the world’s largest luxury group, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moet & Chandon – surprised everyone by announcing an increase in sales during its fourth quarter earnings, and [...]
Ocado share price burnt by 48-hour blaze at robotics centre February 7, 2019 Ocdo’s share price suffered a 12 per cent dip this afternoon as investors continued to digest the news of a 48-hour blaze that has disrupted operations at one of the delivery giant’s major distribution centres. Late last night firefighters continued to tackle the blaze, which started early on Tuesday morning, at Ocado’s Andover distribution centre, [...]
Superdry points finger at warm weather for cooling winter sales February 7, 2019 Superdry suffered a dip in sales over the crucial Christmas trading period, citing unseasonably warm weather for a fall in demand for the fashion group’s flagship Japanese winter hoodies. The British fashion group, which has seen its shares crash 70 per cent in the last 12 months, said its performance in the three months to [...]
Tui shares plunge on cuts to earnings guidance following hot summer February 7, 2019 Shares in Anglo-German holiday company Tui plummeted this morning after it cut its earnings guidance for its full financial year last night, blaming the hot summer and the weaker pound. Its shares fell 18 per cent in early trading to 966p. Last night Tui said it expected underlying earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation (Ebita) [...]
Thomas Cook considers airline sale as losses hit £60m February 7, 2019 Thomas Cook is set to consider selling its airline business as seasonal losses deepened to £60m for its first quarter, with the airline blaming customer uncertainty. The figures The embattled travel agent saw its operating loss increase by £14m year on year to hit £60m for the three months to the end of December as holiday bookings dropped, [...]
Restaurant sector defies confidence slump as UK leisure spending grows February 6, 2019 Restaurant goers continued to show an appetite for dining out towards the end of last year, with net spending in the UK’s leisure sector rising in the final three months of 2018. According to a new report from Deloitte, the UK’s leisure industry grew by two percentage points year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2018, [...]
Islington AI-powered gig economy startup Catapult nabs £4.3m February 6, 2019 On-demand staffing platform Catapult has raised £4.3m in fresh funding, taking its total amount raised in three years to £10m. The funding was led by Novator Partners, and supported by Dollar Shave Club and Jobbio-backer Elkstone Ventures. The Islington-based startup uses artificial intelligence to match the skills and experience of workers to employers' requirements, with [...]
China gives Carlsberg a bright spot but boss warns profit growth could slow February 6, 2019 Carlsberg trumped expectations this morning after a bumper summer and appetite from Asia helped boosted sales, despite the brewing giant's boss warning that growth is likely to slow in the year ahead. Buoyed by consumer demand in China and prolonged summer weather across much of Northern Europe, the Danish brewer said that net profits had [...]
Food giant Delivery Hero enjoys revenue rise thanks to order growth February 6, 2019 German food delivery firm Delivery Hero has posted a huge rise in revenues for 2018 thanks to an increase in orders and expansion into new markets. Revenues including Germany grew 65 per cent to €792m (£817m), ahead of previous forecasts of between €780m and €785m, while fourth quarter sales soared 75 per cent to €248m. [...]