Labour’s assault on the private sector will come back to haunt them November 18, 2024 The weekend’s papers groaned under the weight of business leaders’ concerns and complaints about the Labour’s government’s recent Budget and wider policy agenda. “They don’t understand business” ran an FT article, drawing on a host of quotes from alarmed chief executives. “Honeymoon’s over for business chiefs…” was the warning in a similar Sunday Times article. [...]
Retailers reassess how to reel in cash-strapped Brits for Black Friday November 16, 2024 As Brits’ loyalty to brands continues to erode and their commitment to seeking value continues to rise, retailers are optimising their digital presence in hopes of a bumper festive season. With online spending reaching ever-higher levels, and brand loyalty going down thanks to the increasing ease of switching between products on the internet, it’s become [...]
Typhoo Tea: Jobs at risk as historic brand nears collapse November 15, 2024 More than 100 jobs are at risk after it emerged that Typhoo Tea is on the verge of collapsing into administration. The Bristol-headquartered business, which can trace its roots back over a century, is lining up EY to oversee the process after filing a a notice of intention to appoint administrators. In an interview with [...]
Mike Ashley’s empire tightens grip on Boohoo as crunch vote nears November 15, 2024 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has continued to up its stake in Boohoo as a war of words over the future of the fast-fashion giant rumbles on. The owner of the likes of Sports Direct and House of Fraser now has a 28 per cent stake in the Manchester-headquartered group, which itself features brands such as [...]
Has London’s commercial property market finally recovered from the pandemic? November 15, 2024 High-quality office space in London has “continued and sustained appeal” in London, with property take-up finally exceeding pre-pandemic levels, while retail vacancy rates have similarly dipped to their lowest level since 2019. Cushman & Wakefield and Savills have both reported that the central London property market has begun to stabilise, while British property investment trust [...]
How Arla Foods boss went from selling cigarettes to Lurpak and Cravendale November 15, 2024 A globe-trotting career that began selling cigarettes at British American Tobacco and has led to heading up the UK arm of dairy giant Arla Foods is maybe not what Bas Padberg could have predicted when he started out in the early 1990s. The managing director of the group behind Lurpak, Cravendale, Skyr and B.O.B milk [...]
WH Smith: Profit jumps as expansion into travel shops pays off November 14, 2024 WH Smith’s push into travel has paid off with the bulk of its growth in the last year due to higher profit at airports, train stations and motorway services. WH Smith’s revenue rose seven per cent to £1.918bn in the year ended 31 August, 2024, driven by growth in travel shops plus the company’s expansion [...]
Pressure on incomes helps B&M grow as value retailer targets 1,200 stores November 14, 2024 Value retailer B&M Bargains has posted a tick-up in revenue as demand for bargain goods has remained high amid pressure on incomes and a higher tax burden. The Liverpool-based group, which included Heron Foods, said group revenue in the half year to 28 September increased by 3.7 per cent to £2.6bn. While this is lower than growth last [...]
Boohoo urges shareholders to reject Mike Ashley’s demands November 14, 2024 Boohoo has urged its shareholders to reject Mike Ashley’s demand to be placed in charge of the struggling fast fashion group, saying that that Ashley is “not suitable” and subject to conflicts of interest due to his role at Frasers. Boohoo and Frasers have been engaged in a public disagreement over how to take the [...]
Homebase sold in rescue deal to CDS but 2,000 jobs still at risk November 13, 2024 Homebase has been sold in a rescue deal to retailer CDS in a move securing up to 1,600 jobs and 70 stores, administrator Teneo has said, but around 2,000 workers and 49 shops still remain at risk.