UK retail industry battles ‘toughest ever’ trading conditions July 22, 2019 The health of the UK retail industry is on the brink of falling to record lows as shops battle some of the “toughest trading conditions they’ve ever experienced”. The Retail Health Index, which takes into account consumer demand, gross margins and costs, fell from 77 to 76 in the second quarter, financial services firm KPMG [...]
Homebase buys Bathstore out of administration July 22, 2019 Homebase has bought Bathstore out of administration, however, hundreds of jobs remain at risk as 124 stores are facing closure. The company will take over 44 branches and the Bathstore website, and plans to open a “significant” number of concessions within its own stores over the next 18 months. Read more: Homebase closes in on [...]
Sainsbury’s partners with Deliveroo on pizza takeaway service July 22, 2019 Sainsbury’s has teamed up with Deliveroo to launch a takeaway pizza trial as the supermarket targets a slice of the expanding delivery market. Supermarkets are attempting to jump on the food delivery bandwagon as they seek new areas of growth. The UK’s food delivery market is worth £8.1bn, up 13.4 per cent since 2017, and [...]
Ted Baker shares soar as Ray Kelvin considers backing buy-out July 22, 2019 Shares in Ted Baker soared this morning following reports that the luxury retailer’s founder Ray Kelvin would back a private equity buyout of the firm, months after he resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment. The retailer’s share price was up more than 15 per cent after it was reported that Kelvin had made enquiries about [...]
Families feel ‘ripped off’ by overseas holiday costs July 22, 2019 Two-thirds of families felt “ripped off” on their last trip abroad, with the cost of making card payments the biggest annoyance for British holidaymakers. Travellers can be hit with extra charges of around 2.7 per cent for each card transaction while abroad, as well as fees at cash machines. Read more: Heathrow summer strikes threaten [...]
Swiss private bank Julius Baer sees profit slide July 22, 2019 Swiss private bank Julius Baer reported a 19 per cent slide in adjusted net profit in the first half of the year as weak trading from wealthy clients continued. The bank posted a net profit of SFr 391m in the first six months of 2019, a 19 per cent drop year-on-year but an 18 per [...]
Metro Bank confirms £500m Cerberus loan sale talks July 22, 2019 Metro Bank shares rose more than three per cent this morning as the lender confirmed it is in talks to offload a portfolio of mortgages to a US hedge fund. The bank is reportedly preparing to sell £523m of buy-to-let mortgages back to Cerberus in order to strengthen its loanbook, after buying the mortgages off [...]
Renter demand soars after tenant fee ban July 19, 2019 Tenant demand soared in June as renters rushed to secure new properties following the introduction of new rules to ban letting agent fees. In London, demand increased by 13 per cent from May to June compared to a four-year average of four per cent. Read more: The potential consequences of the tenant fee ban Nationally [...]
Waitrose offloads stores risking hundreds of jobs July 18, 2019 Waitrose is set to close three stores and sell a further four, putting hundreds of jobs at risk, the supermarket announced this afternoon. Budget grocery chain Lidl has snapped up stores in Bromley, Oadby in Leicestershire and Wollaton in Nottinghamshire. Read more: Waitrose sets out £1bn online shopping plan A fourth store in Sandhurst, Berkshire, has [...]
Post Office appoints ex-Nisa boss Nick Read as chief executive July 18, 2019 The Post Office has appointed consumer business veteran Nick Read as its new group chief executive. Read will join the group in September and replace outgoing chief executive Paula Vennells, who earlier this year announced plans to step down after seven years in the job. Read more: Use your local post office or lose it [...]
