DIY retailer Wickes forecasts strong sales growth ahead of Travis Perkins demerger March 24, 2021 DIY chain Wickes, which is being demerged from building trade retailer Travis Perkins, today forecast strong full-year sales growth ahead of launching its public listing as a standalone firm. The home improvement sector has performed well during the pandemic as Britons have spent more time at home, have had fewer leisure options and have travelled [...]
John Lewis to permanently close eight stores, putting 1,465 jobs at risk March 24, 2021 John Lewis has announced it will not reopen eight stores after lockdown restrictions are eased, putting almost 1,500 jobs at risk. The retailer said the four department stores and four “At Home” branches are in locations that “can’t sustain a large store”, and will be permanently closed. It will enter into consultation with the 1,465 [...]
UK house price growth slowed in January as buyers paused due to new lockdown March 24, 2021 UK house price growth slowed in January compared to the previous month as buyers paused due to the introduction of new lockdown measures and uncertainty over the length of the stamp duty holiday, according to the latest official data. Average house prices increased by 7.5 per cent over the year to January, down from eight [...]
UK housebuilder Bellway ups selling price expectations and reinstates dividend March 24, 2021 Bellway this morning reinstated its dividend and upped its selling price expectations for this year as the UK housebuilder reported strong demand for new homes. The FTSE 250 developer said the full-year average selling price is now forecast to be more than £295,000, up from a previous estimate of £293,054. It announced it will reinstate [...]
UK CPI: Inflation rate falls back in February as discounted clothes offset rising petrol prices March 24, 2021 The UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) slipped in February compared to the previous month as rising petrol costs failed to offset discount clothing and footwear. UK CPI rose 0.4 per cent in the 12 months to February, down from a 0.7 per cent rise in January. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.1 per [...]
Covid vaccinations: ‘Greed’ to thank for UK’s rapid jab rollout, PM says March 24, 2021 The Prime Minister reportedly told backbench MPs that the UK’s Covid vaccination success was due to “capitalism” and “greed”. Boris Johnson “very insistently” retracted the statement shortly after making them during a private Zoom call with Conservative MPs. The BBC reported that the remarks were not related to the ongoing clash with the European Union [...]
Holiday-goers face £5,000 fine for travelling abroad under new Covid laws March 23, 2021 Anyone trying to leave England to travel abroad without “good reason” could be hit with a £5,000 fine under new coronavirus laws that are due to come into force next week. Holidays abroad are not currently allowed under lockdown rules which come to an end on Monday, but MPs will this week vote on legislation [...]
Exclusive: Galliard secures £76m loan to fund luxury flats above Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station March 23, 2021 The developers of a luxury residential block above Tottenham Court Road’s Crossrail station have secured £76m in financing from lenders to complete the project. Leumi UK, the London-based subsidiary of the Israeli bank, and Natwest have closed a multi-million-pound deal with Galliard Homes to fund the development of 92 flats in the West End, City [...]
Pawnbroker H&T suffers profit slump as consumers wary of taking on debt in pandemic March 23, 2021 H&T Group, the high street pawnbroker and loan provider, suffered a drop in profit last year as fewer customers borrowed money during the pandemic. The company announced this morning that profit before tax fell 22.4 per cent to £15.6m in 2020 as its pledge book fell 33.1 per cent to £48.3m. H&T’s share price fell [...]
UK housing transactions soar in ‘sprint finish’ before stamp duty holiday extension March 23, 2021 UK housing transactions soared last month in a “sprint finish” to get deals completed before the initial stamp duty holiday deadline. Residential transactions in the UK were 45.5 per cent higher than February last year and 23 per cent up on January’s levels at 147,050, according to the latest HM Revenue and Customs data. The [...]
