Detoxers spell the death of the party holiday, while Heineken innovates to serve beer from the keg on planes July 19, 2016 If you thought you might be able to escape “clean eating” and all the other health and wellbeing fads cluttering up your inbox while you were on holiday this summer, I’m afraid you’re about to be disappointed. Or maybe you wouldn’t be. The Capitalist was more than a bit dismayed to learn 78 per cent [...]
Evans Cycles owner ECI Partners applying the brake after slowdown in bike sales July 19, 2016 Evans Cycles is in talks with banks to overhaul its financing arrangements following industry-wide fears the bicycle market is peaking. The cycling chain, which is owned by private equity group ECI Partners, has initiated discussions with its lenders after a slowdown in UK bike sales, Sky News first reported. Crawley-based Evans Cycles has 63 stores [...]
Zeroing in on the competition: This is what Coca-Cola’s new ad campaign tells us about the drinks market July 19, 2016 Coca-Cola's announcement that it is pouring £10m into its newly-branded Zero Sugar variant is proof of two things. First, that the carbonated soft drinks market is alive and well. Second, that it is recognising changing consumer and industry attitudes towards health and sugar. But does this huge investment reveal the big brands are concerned about [...]
Philip Morris International’s share price hit as the tobacco giant chokes on earnings below analyst expectations July 19, 2016 Big Four tobacco firm Philip Morris International's (PMI) share price was down almost four per cent on the New York Stock Exchange after it missed analyst expectations in its second quarter results today. The figures The Marlboro maker's cigarette shipment volume fell 4.8 per cent compared to the second quarter of last year, to 209.3bn [...]
This could be Paddington Bear’s dream: Enterprise Inns and Marylebone Leisure Group agree to launch Marmalade Pub Company joint venture July 19, 2016 The UK's largest pub group, Enterprise Inns, has agreed a joint venture with the Marylebone Leisure Group (MLG) to form the Marmalade Pub Company. It will be Enterprise's fifth managed expert agreement, as the pubco continues to launch more partnerships with "industry-leading managed house operators". At this stage the companies have not said how many pubs will [...]
Get your popcorn: Cinema chain Vue International hails blockbuster first-half results July 19, 2016 Cinema chain Vue International has hailed record first-half results and seen its acquisition strategy pay off with the launch of a new Netherlands-based arm. The figures Turnover at the cinema chain grew 4.4 per cent to £381.8m in the 26 weeks to 26 May, up from £365.7m in the first half of 2015. Earnings before [...]
84 people dead as truck crashes into crowds at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice July 15, 2016 French authorities have confirmed that at least 84 people are dead after a lorry was driven into a crowd in the French city of Nice in a suspected terrorist attack during Bastille Day celebrations last night. At least 100 were injured, with another 18 in a critical condition, after the incident on the Promenade des Anglais following a fireworks display. French [...]
UK should be building 300,000 homes a year to tackle housing crisis, according to House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee report July 15, 2016 Britain needs at least 300,000 new homes a year to fix its housing crisis, according to a House of Lords report published this morning. The report has called for a building boom, but courted controversy by arguing that the private sector “has neither the ability nor motivation” to satisfy demand. The cross-party Economic Affairs Committee [...]
US Department of Justice set to wave through ICAP-Tullett deal July 14, 2016 The US Department of Justice has given a nod of approval to interdealer Tullett Prebon’s revised takeover of ICAP’s voice-broking and information business. Under the $1.5bn (£1.1bn) deal’s original structure, ICAP would have owned 19.9 per cent of Tullett Prebon and also had the right to nominate a member of Tullett Prebon’s board of directors, despite [...]
BP braces for $2.5bn charge in second quarter results for 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill – taking final bill total to $61.6bn July 14, 2016 Oil giant BP is set to take a $2.5bn (£1.9bn) charge in its second quarter results as it reveals the final bill for 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The charge will take the final pre-tax bill for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the largest in US waters, to $61.6bn, or $44bn after tax. Nearly 5m barrels [...]
