Central London only slightly busier amid Black Friday sales November 29, 2021 Central London was only ever so slightly busier thanks to Black Friday deals last week as retail chiefs noted fewer shoppers than pre-pandemic levels. Central London saw a 2.3 per cent boost to footfall week on week for the week beginning 21 November. Footfall in the area was down 22.3 per cent on 2019 levels, [...]
Brits’ ski trips re-routed to French entry-points following fresh Swiss restrictions November 29, 2021 Brits may have to skip the slopes this year, as holidays firms begin to re-route or cancel Christmas trips to the Alps amid fresh travel restrictions. The uncertainty has bloomed as a result of a new Covid-19 variant known as Omicron, which has prompted Switzerland to force Brits entering the country to quarantine for 10 [...]
Asda sales dip as supermarket charters cargo ship to ensure Christmas stock availability November 29, 2021 Asda has reported a fall in underlying quarterly sales as it said it chartered its own cargo ship to ensure Christmas decorations and toys make it to UK shelves. The supermarket, owned by the billionaire Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR Capital, said like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, fell 0.7 per cent year-on-year in the [...]
Travelodge revenue boosted by staycations despite drop in ‘white collar demand’ November 29, 2021 Travelodge has reported buoyant third quarter results thanks to staycations helping to offset subdued corporate demand. Total revenue for the quarter ended 30 September was up 9.9 per cent compared to 2019, hitting £229.5m. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 11.8 per cent to £53.54, compared to £47.89 in 2019. The budget hotel chain saw [...]
JD Wetherspoon and Budweiser ink 20-year partnership as brewer chain’s largest beer supplier November 29, 2021 Pub operator JD Wetherspoon has announced a 20-year deal with brewer Budweiser, which will become the chain’s largest beer supplier. JD Wetherspoon (JDW) will be ditching its 41-year association with brewer Heineken in favour of products from Budweiser Brewing Group. Beers including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona and Bud Light will be on offer at JDW [...]
Over 17 million have used buy now, pay later services November 29, 2021 The number of people who have used Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services for their online shopping has now surpassed 17 million, according to reports. Klarna, the biggest BNPL player in the UK, has seen its number of customers double to 15m since last year, according to the BBC, which first reported the news. As [...]
Staffing challenges biggest issue for hoteliers as firms introduce ‘golden hellos’ to entice new workers November 29, 2021 Hoteliers believe increasing labour costs and a shortage of staff are the most weighty challenges to be faced by the sector over the next five years. Soaring staff costs were pegged as the biggest issue for 59 per cent of hotel bosses while a shortage of skilled labour troubles 54 per cent of those surveyed [...]
Staycation bidding war: Blackstone-owned Bourne Leisure to sell off Butlin’s November 28, 2021 British domestic holiday giant Butlin’s is reportedly set to be sold off next year, which could rally a bidding war amid the country’s staycation boom. Blackstone-owned Bourne Leisure, Butlin’s parent company, has already chosen bankers to undertake the auction sometime in 2022, Sky News’ Mark Kleinman reported. The value of the holiday chain is not [...]
Supply chain crisis leaves Brits worse off than Americans and Europeans with many prepared to ‘punish’ retailers November 27, 2021 As the Office for Budget Responsibility recently reported that the UK’s supply chain bottlenecks have been exacerbated by Brexit, new data shows this morning that Brits report far worse delivery experiences than consumers in France, Germany, and the US. While the crisis is being presented as ‘global’, UK online consumers report disproportionate affects, with nearly two fifths [...]
Saturday Read: Two sustainable fashion gurus on a mission to make soil sexy in London November 27, 2021 Far from providing a pivotal road map, COP26 has at least uncovered a few tangible solutions for multiple industries to move forward. For the first time ever, fossil fuels have been noted and added to the final agreement, albeit rather half heartedly, with a little help from India and China. Another key take-away [...]