Soaring inflation and recession fears trigger UK dealmaking slowdown June 6, 2023 Mergers and acquisitions in the UK tumbled sharply in the first three months of the year as recession fears and rapid rate hikes spooked dealmakers, official figures have revealed today.
Cheap and cheerful: Poundland owner to open 550 new sites as inflation drives expansion June 6, 2023 Poundland owner Pepco has plans to roll out 550 more sites this year across the UK and Europe as its cheap and cheerful goods continue to perform well with customers amidst the cost of living crisis. In its interim results the value shop, which sells everything from groceries to clothes, posted a 22.8 per cent [...]
Investment slump amid higher interest rates risks finally sparking UK recession June 6, 2023 A mix of factors are buffeting the UK economy right now. Spending power is being crushed by high inflation eroding family finances. House prices are coming off their heady heights as sellers drop prices to source buyers amid higher mortgage rates. External demand is thinning in response to weak consumer confidence amid a global cost [...]
We need a good dose of optimism in our politics – especially about climate June 6, 2023 Voters want more optimism in our politics - especially when it comes to climate - even if it can feel un-British. Younger voters especially are much more optimistic than our politicians, writes Adam Hawksbee
Aviva joins dormant asset scheme as programme expands to insurance and pension funds June 5, 2023 Insurance giant Aviva joined the dormant asset scheme today as the programme opened up to pensions and insurance firms. Aviva will join over 40 banks and building societies that currently participate in the scheme. Kirsty Cooper, group general counsel and company secretary, said Aviva had been working with the Reclaim Fund and dormant asset scheme [...]
Asos share price leaps after report of £1bn takeover bid June 5, 2023 Asos‘s share price jumped 11.8 per cent this morning after a report emerged yesterday that the struggling retail chain received a £1bn takeover bid from a Turkish retailer backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Trendyol, an up-and-coming fast fashion retailer, was understood to have approached Asos in late December, according to a report in The [...]
Craft breweries battered by soaring operational costs June 5, 2023 Soaring operational costs and a greater competition between brands have battered the UK’s brewery industry with the number of beer factories going under tripling over the past year. The number of breweries which have become insolvent has risen from 15 to 45 over the last year, new figures out from audit, tax and advisory firm [...]
Retailers urge rethink on net zero ‘grocery tax’ as public blame Brexit for rising costs June 4, 2023 Top retailers have urged the government to rethink plans for green levies to fund the recycling of food packaging in a bid to avoid a further rise in spiralling food costs. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned the scheme, dubbed the ‘net zero grocery tax’, could push up shopping bills by up to £4bn [...]
‘Feeding time’: Why one retail group is on the hunt for distressed operators June 4, 2023 A business group which rescued upmarket chocolatier Montezuma from collapse has said it is looking to continue on its acquisition spree – noting that the current tough trading climate is “feeding time” for stronger players in the market. “In recent years, there have been so many distressed businesses that we have been able to pick [...]
Simply Be and Jacamo owner hopes for a rebound after bumpy few months June 4, 2023 Investors in online retailer N Brown will be looking for signs of recovery in its full year results this week after the firm paid out a hefty legal settlement and has struggled amid a broader slowdown in consumer spending. N Brown, which owns brands such as Simply Be and Jacamo, reported a 7.6 per cent [...]