This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
The Dorchester Hotel owner struggles with rising costs and fewer guests October 14, 2024 The group that includes The Dorchester Hotel in London fell into the red in 2023 as it struggled with rising costs and fewer guests. The Dorchester Group has reported a pre-tax loss of £5.2m for its latest financial year, having made a pre-tax profit of £17m in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show [...]
Mulberry to ponder bid from Mike Ashley’s Frasers despite lack of interest from majority shareholder October 14, 2024 British retailer Mulberry has announced that it is evaluating Frasers’ second bid for the firm, despite a lack of interest from its majority shareholder, Challice. In light of Frasers’ £111m bid, the luxury brand is “working with advisers to consider the company’s position,” it said, despite Challice’s public snub of the deal. Challice, which is [...]
Gucci: Profit halved as ‘high competition’ eats into sales October 11, 2024 Profit at the UK arm of luxury fashion brand Gucci has cut almost in half during its latest financial year after “high competition” impacted its sales. The West Sussex-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £4.8m for 2023, down from the £9m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its [...]
Rolex: Sales at luxury watch maker rise time after time October 10, 2024 Sales at the UK arm of Rolex rose by almost £80m during 2023, for the 17th consecutive year. The London-headquartered division has reported a turnover of £685.2m for the 12 months, up from the £608.1m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its pre-tax profit increased from £59.4m to £65.8m [...]
Property market 2025 predictions: Greener and healthier October 10, 2024 Predicting the prevailing winds in the super-prime property market can be a thankless task, given how it is at the behest of factors both national and international. Nevertheless, I have grabbed my crystal ball to make some predictions about the emerging and developing trends, from the continued rise in at home wellness to an ever-increasing [...]
Stefano Cantino: Who is Gucci’s new boss tasked with turning the luxury brand around? October 9, 2024 First Mulberry, then Burberry, and now Gucci – reshuffles at the very top of luxury businesses are definitely in vogue. Gucci, owned by Kering, has announced the appointment of Stefano Cantino as its new chief executive. He will take over from interim boss Jean-Francois Palus on 1 January 2025. Much like Mulberry and Burberry’s new [...]
Porsche sales accelerate to almost £2bn after sales spike October 9, 2024 A spike in Porsche sales in the UK helped the luxury car maker’s revenue accelerate to almost £2bn, it has been revealed. The Berkshire-headquartered division has reported a revenue of £1.92bn for 2023, up from the £1.34bn it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its pre-tax profit jumped from £24.4m to [...]
McLaren W1: A ‘once in a generation’ hybrid hypercar October 8, 2024 When the opening gambit is ‘a successor to the McLaren F1 and P1’ – two of the greatest supercars in history – you know what follows will be something special. Or it certainly needs to be. The McLaren W1 does not disappoint. Welcome to the inner sanctum of a futuristic, semi-subterranean factory in Woking: home [...]
Inside the SHA Wellness retreat, the world’s most high-tech spa resort October 8, 2024 With private heli-pads, NASA-backed technologies and high-powered guests, does SHA Wellness retreat's brain spa deliver what it promises?