Keir Starmer urges public to ‘reach out’ as he acknowledges cost-of-living struggle Politics Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged that many are “still struggling with the cost of living” in a Christmas message posted on Wednesday morning. He said “we should each do our bit” as he urged people to “call around to a neighbour, check in on a friend or a relative who you haven’t heard from [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget to send borrowing costs soaring; New AIM IPO Markets Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Sir Keir Starmer has asked the British public to judge his premiership on the government’s ability to “make people feel better off”. Well, in the capital the Prime Minister shouldn’t be expecting a warm reception from young Brits, who are feeling the pinch of the [...]
Are super clubs dead? Opinion With young people now opting for smaller, cheaper and more intimate venues, the days of the super club look numbered, writes Sacha Lord.
ABF: Primark owner’s shares sink as sales slow at FTSE 100 giant September 10, 2025 Shares in Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) have plunged after posting what analysts branded a “mixed bag” of results. The FTSE 100 warned that challenging conditions were weighing on the company’s trading, listing consumer caution, geopolitical uncertainty and inflation as top factors. Shares plunged 13 per cent on the news to their lowest value [...]
Champagne Lanson sales fail to fizz as prices rise May 9, 2025 Champagne Lanson suffered a sharp drop in its UK sales in 2024 as drinkers turned their backs on bars and restaurants amid the cost-of-living crisis. New accounts filed with Companies House show the brand’s turnover was slashed from £45.2m to £35.5m last year while its pre-tax profit also fell from £1.7m to £819,000. The champagne [...]
Fentimans returns to profit after cutting costs March 27, 2025 Fentimans, the soft drinks and tonic water brand, has predicted higher profits in 2025 as it returned to the black during its latest financial year despite the “ongoing challenging backdrop”. The Northumberland-based business has reported a pre-tax profit of £1.4m for 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after Fentimans [...]
Echo Falls and Lambrini owner loses over £100m as alcohol duty hikes bite March 27, 2025 The owner of Echo Falls and Lambrini has slumped to a loss of more than £100m as the cost-of-living crisis and alcohol duty hike significantly impacted its finances. The UK arm of Accolade Wines, whose brands also include Hardys and Kumala, has reported a pre-tax loss of £103.8m for the 12 months to 30 June, [...]
Blackpool Pleasure Beach to close rides as costs spiral March 24, 2025 High inflation, interest rates and “significant increases” in the minimum wage have made turning a profit “harder to achieve”, the owner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach has said as it fell back into the red. The attraction, which dates back to 1896, also said the rising costs will force it to close some rides this year [...]
Households feeling poorer despite wealth jump March 7, 2025 Six in ten UK households do not feel financially comfortable despite their wealth having risen by an average of 12 per cent in the last year thanks to better savings rates and good investment performance. According to a fresh study looking at wealth across Britain, the mean household has seen its assets – spanning savings, [...]
Poundland adds more items to its offering – but do customers see the value? January 16, 2025 Yougov’s chief executive Steve Hatch takes a closer look at the data behind the biggest stories in business. Here, he searches for value in Poundland. Poundland announced an increase in the number of £1 products it offers from 1,500 to 2,400 on 6 January 2025, having cut the price of basics such as milk, bread, [...]