Grocery inflation falls to lowest monthly rate this year June 20, 2023 Grocery price inflation has fallen to its lowest monthly rate this year – but remains at its sixth highest level since 2008, figures show. Grocery inflation dropped to 16.5 per cent for the four weeks to June 11, down from last month’s 17.2 per cent and March’s record 17.5 per cent according to analysts Kantar. [...]
Sadiq Khan to address ‘cost of doing business’ crisis at summit with Uber and Natwest June 20, 2023 Sadiq Khan is set to address the “cost of doing business crisis” at a crunch summit with firms including Uber, Natwest and KPMG. The mayor of London will welcome more than 200 CEOs to his annual City Hall business reception at the Crystal in east London today. He is expected to tell firms the “cost-of-doing-business [...]
Online retail firms in trouble as punters turn back to the high street June 19, 2023 E-commerce retailers which were bolstered by Brits stuck at home during the pandemic are now going bust, a new report shows, as the cost of living crisis continues to eat away at businesses. The number of insolvencies of UK e-commerce businesses rose 71 per cent to 529 in the past year, up from 309 in [...]
Cost of pasta bake, fish finger supper and spag bol up 27 per cent, Which finds June 16, 2023 The cost of popular family meals such as pasta bake, fish fingers, chips and beans, plus home-made spaghetti bolognese has increased by up to 27 per cent over the last year, figures show. Which found the prices of pasta sauce, penne pasta and cheddar cheese to make a quick pasta bake for four people have [...]
‘London buzzing’: City pub favourite Fuller’s boosted by summer drinking as workers return to office June 15, 2023 The chief executive of Fuller’s has said London is “buzzing” with activity as sunny spells and a return to office working has helped boost business trade. Simon Emeny, Fuller’s’ chief reported an increase in corporate booking across its almost 400 strong pub estate as employees returned to the office post-pandemic. The pub chain also reported [...]
Pyrex maker files for US bankruptcy after inflation and high rates batter sales June 14, 2023 The maker of Pyrex and Instant Pot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as dwindling sales and high inflation have battered the business. Instant Brands, which is US owned, is said to have much as $1bn (£790m) in liabilities. Instant Brand, which trades in John Lewis and Argos for upwards of £180, was impacted by [...]
400 jobs saved in Dirty Martini deal June 13, 2023 Some 400 hospitality jobs have been saved thanks to Night Cap bar group’s acquisition of Dirty Martini and Tuttons Brasserie following a pre-pack administration sale for close to £5m. The deal includes five Dirty Martini bars in London and five across Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Cardiff. Tuttons Brasserie, a restaurant in Covent Garden, which [...]
Mortgage commitments plummet to pandemic levels as rate hike jitters spook housing market June 13, 2023 The number of new mortgage commitments has fallen to the lowest levels since the Covid pandemic as speculation the Bank of England’s will keep on hiking interest rates rattles the market. As the central bank raised interest rates for the 12th consecutive time during the quarter, in a bid to cool inflation, the number of [...]
Online shopping sales slump to lowest levels since before pandemic June 9, 2023 The cost of living crisis has hindered the online shopping sales boom with digital sales falling to their lowest levels since before the pandemic. The number of online sales fell by 3.3 per cent during May as punters, under the cosh, have had to cut down on the number of goods they buy from digital [...]
Cheap and cheerful: Poundland owner to open 550 new sites as inflation drives expansion June 6, 2023 Poundland owner Pepco has plans to roll out 550 more sites this year across the UK and Europe as its cheap and cheerful goods continue to perform well with customers amidst the cost of living crisis. In its interim results the value shop, which sells everything from groceries to clothes, posted a 22.8 per cent [...]