Grocery prices cool as government drafts supermarket price cap May 30, 2023 Food inflation cooled slightly in May as lower energy and commodity costs finally showed signs of filtering down to consumers. According to data by the British Retail Consortium, grocery inflation fell to 15.4 per cent in during the month, down from 15.7 per cent in April – but remained the second highest inflation rate in [...]
Fresh calls to end tourist tax as London risks ‘losing out’ to rival EU cities May 30, 2023 The policy chair of the City of London Corporation has made fresh calls for an end to tourist tax on foreign shoppers, warning that the capital could lose out to rival European cities. Writing in City A.M, Chris Hayward, said that London’s recovery is “not being maximised,” noting that the Treasury’s decision to scrap the [...]
House prices continue to fall as buy-to-let landlords sell up May 30, 2023 House prices are continuing to fall, according to a closely watched index, but transactions are ahead of the long-term average due to landlords selling up. According to estate agent Zoopla, landlord properties accounted for 11 per cent of sales in the last month, as high mortgage rates and energy bills forced many property owners to [...]
Retailers hit with fresh blow as nearly 50 per cent of Brits think the high street is ‘no longer relevant’ May 29, 2023 Nearly half of Brits believe that high streets are no longer relevant, with new data showing that the public is craving a change to their local high street in order to continue visiting it. The data, published by IT company Accenture, comes as retail experts have forecasted that up to 18,000 stores could vanish off [...]
Can Dr Martens get off on the right foot with investors this week? May 29, 2023 All eyes remain on Dr Martens ahead of its full year results on Thursday as investors hope the boot maker can offer signs of a turnaround following disruptions in its US warehouse and its struggling share price. The London-based bootmaker has downgraded its profit forecast twice in three months, telling the markets in April that [...]
New Look in talks with lenders to refinance £100m debt May 26, 2023 New Look is reportedly in talks with its lenders to refinance £100m of debt amid a challenging time for the British fashion chain. New Look is understood to be working with advisers at Deloitte on exploring options for a term loan which ends its June 2024, according to reports in Sky News. Sources told the [...]
John Allan: Tesco chair mulls legal action over sexual misconduct allegations May 26, 2023 John Allan, the outgoing chief of Tesco, has hired a law firm to defend himself after he was accused of engaging inappropriately with women during his tenure at the CBI. “I’m determined, as far as I possibly can, to prove my innocence,” Allan told the Times, revealing that he has hired media law firm Schillings [...]
Asos share price in focus after £75m cash call May 26, 2023 Asos has tapped shareholders for £75m as the loss making retailer attempts to repair its balance sheet. The pure-play digital retailer revealed the plans to investors yesterday, with the fundraising underwritten by three shareholders including Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen, the owner of Bestseller through his investment vehicle. In a separate cash building move, Asos also [...]
Retail sales up in April but analysts warn on implications of further rate hikes May 26, 2023 Retail sales volumes recovered slightly by 0.5 per cent in April as the sector was lifted by the Easter holidays, however high inflation and strains on household finances continue to hinder spending. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 1.0 per cent during the month, data from the ONS shows, following a fall of 1.8 per [...]
Ealing and Woolwich among Elizabeth line winners as house prices surge May 26, 2023 Boroughs located along the Elizabeth Line have seen a surge in house prices as the new line cuts City commuter times from areas like Ealing and Woolwich. As London battles a lack of supply, the quick transport links introduced by Crossrail have seen the price of homes in Ealing Broadway rise nine per cent in [...]
