Vistry reports 22 per cent slide in home completions as rate hikes bite July 20, 2023 Vistry Group said the number of homes it completed during the quarter was down 22 per cent compared to the same period last year, as surging mortgage rates continue to hit UK housebuilding companies. The London-listed firm blamed a “tough” economic climate for the decline, with the housebuilder completing 2,847 homes in the period down [...]
Jamie Oliver looks to move on from chain collapse with new London restaurant July 19, 2023 Jamie Oliver has said he “hasn’t lost faith” in the restaurant industry as he pushes ahead with plans to open a new restaurant four years after the collapse of his eponymous high street chain. Speaking to The News Agents podcast on Wednesday the celebrity chef blamed a 40 per cent hike in business rates and [...]
Illegal London candy stores turned into rent free shops in Oxford Street clean-up July 19, 2023 Oxford Street is set for a major revamp as Westminster City Council launches a new £10m scheme to transform London’s iconic high street. The council will make shops vacated by illicit candy stores, which have blighted the leading retail destination, available to small business owners rent free and lower their business rates by 70 per [...]
Restaurateurs reeling as no shows cost sector £90 per missing head July 19, 2023 Restaurateurs are reeling as punters not showing up for dinner costs businesses £90 per head, a new study has shown, leading many to consider throwing in the towel for good. A rising number of diners cancelling at the last minute, or just not turning up, over the last year has led to almost a fifth [...]
Grocery inflation remains ‘incredibly high’ but falls for fourth straight month thanks to supermarket promotions July 18, 2023 Grocery price inflation has seen the biggest drop since its peak in March but remains “incredibly high”, figures show. Supermarket promotions helped the figure fall to 14.9 per cent in the four weeks to July 9, down from 16.5 per cent over the previous month, according to analysts Kantar. It is the fourth month in [...]
Tortilla Mexican Grill: Revenues surge by over a fifth after expansion July 17, 2023 Tortilla Mexican Grill raked in revenues of £32.7m during the first leg of the year, up 22 per cent compared to the same period last year, off the back of a string of new site openings. The fast-casual restaurant chain was bolstered by new openings and growing demand, saying like for like revenue also grew [...]
Sofa so good! DFS reaches record market share as it navigates cost of living crisis July 17, 2023 DFS recorded a four per cent decline in gross sales compared to last year as the sofa giant warns of “significantly worse” market activity during the cost of living crisis. The news comes as earlier this year DFS downgraded its profit expectations to between £30m and £35m, slashing it by nearly half on the £60.3m [...]
Nearly half of tenants struggle to pay rent with millions now facing ‘financial vulnerability’ July 14, 2023 Nearly half of tenants are struggling to pay their rent, with millions now spending more of their disposable income on renting costs than homeowners. As the cost of living crisis has led many landlords to up the costs of rent, some 21 per cent of tenants report spending a higher proportion of their disposable income [...]
Nokia slashes guidance as sales hit by customers cutting back July 14, 2023 Nokia has slashed its guidance for the rest of the year with net sales now expected to be between £19.84bn -£21bn (€23.2bn- €24.6bn) as the mobile phone maker feels the impact of a slowdown in consumer spending. The telecommunications giant said that it was also lowering its operating margin range outlook – the percentage of [...]
Superdrug profits soar 71 per cent as budget beauty buys boost sales July 12, 2023 Superdrug has reported a surge in profits in its full year results thanks to a jump in sales of its own-brand products on top of strong Christmas trading. The medicine-to-beauty seller recorded pre-tax profits of £77.8m, up 71.1 per cent compared to the same period the previous year, as the retailer welcomed its first full [...]