Retail experts warn of ‘challenging’ months ahead as sales growth slows February 7, 2023 Senior retail figures have warned that the coming months will be “challenging” for the sector, after sales slowed over January, falling below the three-month average growth of 5.2 per cent to 4.2 per cent Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive at British Retail Consortium (BRC), said consumer confidence remains “stubbornly low” and looming rises in household [...]
Retail groups call apprenticeship levy a ‘£3.5bn mistake’ and call for urgent reform February 6, 2023 Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said a “much-needed” overhaul of the system would enable businesses to go even further in their skills investment.
Private investors gear up for £2.4bn London office spending spree February 2, 2023 Private investors and ultra-high net worth individuals are expected to snap up London office assets worth £2.4bn this year, a figure which has jumped by 60 per cent in the past 12 months. According to research published by real estate agency Knight Frank, the cash rich investment group is expected to be in a strong [...]
Ion Markets cyber attack disrupts derivatives trading February 1, 2023 Financial data group Ion Markets suffered a cyber attack yesterday, according to reports, which caused disruption to derivatives trading. The attack was “contained to a specific environment” and “all the affected servers are disconnected” Ion Markets said, according to a Financial Times report. City A.M. has approached Ion Markets for a comment. A statement made [...]
London restaurants: Outlook ‘bleak’ as insolvencies mount across the industry February 1, 2023 London restaurateurs have described the outlook for the sector as ‘bleak’ after research has revealed that the number of hospitality businesses going bust has jumped by 65 per cent in the last year. The figures, which were released by accountancy firm Price Bailey, show that 1,880 British restaurant businesses became insolvent in 2022, compared to [...]
Khan’s call to re-introduce VAT-free shopping backed by retailers who claim it would lure 1.5 million more tourists to London February 1, 2023 Kay Buxton, chief executive of Marble Arch London BID, said that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt “missed a trick” at the last Budget by not reintroducing tax-free shopping, noting that the move could have increased spending by £2.1bn.
H&M axes four UK stores outside London as retailer warned it needs to ‘raise its game’ to differentiate from rival fashion chains February 1, 2023 H&M has announced plans to shutter four of its stores across the UK due to a “rapid change” in customer behaviour. None of the fashion retailers’ London sites have been impacted by the move, however stores in Hartlepool, Maidenhead, Newport in Isle of Wight and Burton are set to close. A spokesperson for H&M UK [...]
Food inflation soars to highest level on record February 1, 2023 Food inflation has reached its highest level on record, with the sector predicting no stall in price increases throughout the year. Figures published in the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) shop price index show food inflation rose to 13.8 per cent in January, up from 13.3 per cent in December. This rise has pushed it above [...]
Tesco buys Paperchase brand but over 800 jobs remain at risk January 31, 2023 Tesco has purchased the brand and intellectual property of Paperchase, the supermarket has confirmed, after the embattled stationary company collapsed into administration this morning. However, it has not acquired the chain’s 106 physical stores across the UK and Ireland, leaving 820 jobs at risk. The supermarket will now sell its products in its UK stores. [...]
Tesco’s management shake up places 2,100 jobs at risk January 31, 2023 Tesco is looking to reduce the number of managers in its large shops and close hot deli counters, placing up to 2,100 jobs at risk, the UK’s largest supermarket chain announced today. Tesco, which operates over 2,000 shops, will close its remaining hot deli counters in stores from February 26, having previously removed the majority [...]
