Operating profits soar 35 per cent at funeral services firm Dignity May 10, 2021 Funeral services firm Dignity saw underlying operating profits soar 35 per cent to £26.1m in the first quarter of this year, as there were 43,000 more deaths than in the same weeks last year. The group’s underlying revenue also grew 14 per cent to £94.7m in the 13 week period ending 26 March as the [...]
Provident Financial to shut doorstep lending arm after 141 years as it crashes to loss May 10, 2021 Troubled sub-prime lender Provident Financial today confirmed plans to shutter its doorstep lending arm as it reported a hefty loss for the full year. The Bradford-based company said it was withdrawing from the home credit market after 141 years, adding that it has begun a consultation process for 2,100 employees. “In light of the changing [...]
British Gas owner Centrica still suffering from fall in electricity demand May 10, 2021 British Gas owner Centrica today said that the pandemic was continuing to heap pressure on its finances, with electricity demand down 15 per cent in the first quarter. The company’s quarterly residential boiler installations were also down 11 per cent compared to the same period in 2020, while non-essential visits were postponed due to Covid [...]
Hotel Chocolat to return furlough money after Easter and Mother’s Day sales beat pre-Covid levels May 10, 2021 Hotel Chocolat has pledged to return furlough money to the government after sales soared despite the closure of the British chocolatier’s stores during lockdown. The firm said this morning that revenue for the eight weeks ended 25 April- which included Mother’s Day and Easter – was 19 per cent higher than the comparable period in [...]
Greggs predicts profit to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels as restrictions lift May 10, 2021 Bakery chain Greggs this morning said profit for the year is expected to beat expectations and return to pre-pandemic levels, as long as no further Covid restrictions are implemented. The firm said sales had recovered well in recent weeks as the “stay at home” order was eased, buoyed by a lack of competition from cafes [...]
Oil prices rise after critical US pipeline hit by cyber attack May 10, 2021 Oil prices climbed higher this morning after a major cyber attack forced the shutdown of a critical US pipeline, sparking fears of shortages. Brent crude was up 0.6 per cent, at $68.66 a barrel this morning, having risen 1.5 per cent last week. US West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.5 per cent at $65.24 a [...]
Forget Cornwall, London should be the summer holiday destination of choice May 10, 2021 There’s nowhere in the world as vibrant as a central London street in the evening. People come from all over the world, to be with people from all over the world. A person born in Camden can sit outside a café next to someone who has just arrived from the airport to start a new [...]
Sadiq Khan unveils huge London tourism campaign after reelection May 10, 2021 Sadiq Khan has today pledged to launch the “biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen” following his reelection as London mayor. In a speech at Shakespeare’s Globe this morning Khan will unveil the new Let’s Do London campaign in bid to kickstart the city’s economy as Covid-19 restrictions are eased. The domestic tourism [...]
Labour reshuffle: Former BoE economist Rachel Reeves named shadow chancellor May 10, 2021 Rachel Reeves has been named shadow chancellor after Anneliese Dodds was sacked from the role late on Sunday night. The move came as part of a reshuffle of Labour leader Keir Starmer’s top team after a host of miserable results in Thursday’s local and mayoral elections. Dodds, well-liked and a competent performer, failed to cut [...]
BrewDog: Best in show May 10, 2021 BrewDog is reinventing what it means to be a modern British business. CFO Niall McCallum CA tells Laurence Eastham why purpose drives the Ellon-based beer maker’s success. This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. BrewDog is a great Scottish success story. The brewery and bar chain, founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin [...]
