Grocery price inflation drops sharply to 12.7 per cent August 15, 2023 Grocery price inflation saw its second sharpest fall since 2008, falling 2.2 percentage points to 12.7 per cent for the four weeks to 6 August, new data shows. While food prices are still rising, some goods actually became cheaper, with shoppers paying £1.50 for four pints of milk, down from £1.69 in March, and a [...]
Wilko bidders have until Wednesday to make an offer for troubled retailer August 14, 2023 Bidders for troubled retailer Wilko have reportedly been given until Wednesday to place offers for the company after collapsing into administration last week. A number of discount retailers and financial investors are considering offers for the company, and administrator PwC is seeking offers by the middle of the week, Sky News reported. Last week, the [...]
London losing out due to ‘tourist tax’ as US and Gulf visitors opt for Paris and Milan instead August 14, 2023 London is losing out on wealthy foreign visitors splashing their cash in Oxford Street due to the so-called ‘tourist tax’, amid renewed calls to scrap it and make the capital more competitive. The removal of VAT free shopping for international tourists continues to hurt London retailers, with visitors from the US and the Gulf cutting [...]
Marshalls: Can struggling landscaping giant exceed ‘fairly low’ expectations? August 13, 2023 Investors will turn their focus to building products supplier Marshalls interim results on 16 August to see if the business has picked up any momentum amid a growing slump in the UK house building market. The group, which is headquartered in West Yorkshire, has shown signs of struggling in recent months and announced in July [...]
Soho House: Waiting list for celebrity haunt at ‘all-time high’ with 95,000 in line August 11, 2023 The wait list to secure a place at private members club Soho House has risen to “all-time high” with approximately 95,000 deep-pocketed individuals eager to secure a place at the spot globally. Soho House & Co Inc. the business behind the luxury hub, revealed its growing demand as part of its second quarter results – [...]
Mortgage and rent payments ‘difficult’ for almost 40 per cent of Brits August 11, 2023 Some 38 per cent of Brits have confessed to finding it difficult to afford their rent or mortgage payments over the past month, as the cost of living crisis continues to wreak havoc on the public’s personal finances. This figure was around 29 per cent in early August 2022, new figures from the ONS show, [...]
Bellway ‘taking steps to reduce headcount’ as rate hikes continue mortgage slowdown August 9, 2023 British housebuilder Bellway’s underlying operating margin will contract from 18.5 per cent to 16 per cent as mortgage rates continue to slow down demand in the sector. The home construction company completed the build of 10,945 homes in the year ended 31 July falling from 11,198 in the same period last year. As the central [...]
Beyond Meat: Pricey vegan alternative’s revenue falls 30 per cent as forecast slashed August 8, 2023 Beyond Meat slashed its annual forecast for the year as its revenues plummeted 30 per cent in the second quarter due to customers becoming more reluctant to buy into pricey fake meat alternatives amid the cost of living crisis. The US company, which supplies its vegan plant based burger patties to the likes of McDonald’s, [...]
H&T: Pawnbroker to expand high street and online presence as profits soar 31 per cent August 8, 2023 H&T, Britain’s largest pawnbroker reported a 31 per cent rise in profit before tax to £8.8m – with the pawnbroker looking to cash in on desperate times by expanding its presence. Its pledge book, which includes short-term loans linked to customers’ belongings, grew 14 per cent in the six months ending 30 June, reaching £114.6m [...]
Retail investors poised to spend near £100m on Oxford Street this year August 7, 2023 Retail investment in central London is expected to exceed £1bn this year, with up to a tenth of that set to be spent on Oxford Street, raising fresh hope for the future of the London shopping destination. Some £810m was splurged on retail investments across London in the first half of the year, new figures [...]