July heatwave drives UK retail sales up August 15, 2013 The third warmest July on record drove Britons to the shops in hoardes, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Retail sales rose at an annual rate of 3.0 per cent, beating even the more optimistic of estimates. By comparison, annual growth in June was 2.2 per cent. The primary driver of growth [...]
Heatwave slows machine sales at Ladbrokes August 8, 2013 LADBROKES said yesterday profits almost halved in the first six months of the year, blaming July’s heatwave as customers shunned gaming machines at its high street outlets. Pre-tax profits at the betting company slumped 48.5 per cent to £55.1m for the six months to 30 June, down from £106.9m in the same period last year. [...]