Outdoor pub smoking ban would cause ‘serious economic harm’ to UK hospitality August 29, 2024 A possible smoking ban in outdoor spaces of pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK is likely to do more harm than good, leading trade figures have warned. The ban would make it illegal to smoke in pubs, outdoor restaurants and open-air spaces in nightclubs, according to leaked documents seen by The Sun, in a [...]
Households face ‘bleak’ outlook unless Starmer kickstarts growth August 29, 2024 The improvement in living standards will also be heavily weighted towards the start of the parliament.
Why millennial parents are questioning university for their kids August 28, 2024 The rising costs of higher education—tuition fees and living expenses—have placed an enormous burden on parents, many are asking if it’s worth it, says Eliza Filby Like many parents I’m counting down the days to term time, but this year there’s a poignancy with our youngest starting school. As I prepare to wave her off at [...]
McDonald’s salad supplier Agrial loses custom after price increases August 27, 2024 McDonald’s salad supplier Agrial Fresh Produce has cut its loss thanks to price increases after what it described as three years of “upheaval” due to labour shortages and soaring costs, according to newly-filed documents. The Staffordshire-headquartered company, which also owns the pre-packed salad brand Florette, cut its pre-tax loss to £5.5m in 2023 – an [...]
Heineken’s biggest-ever price rises fail to stop slash in UK profit August 27, 2024 Heineken’s biggest-ever price rises in the UK failed to stop its profit being slashed during its latest financial year as it battled “economic volatility”. The Edinburgh-based division raised its prices in 2023 as it faced “significant inflationary pressure on input costs”, reducing consumer spending, higher labour costs and rising energy bills. According to newly-filed results, [...]
Why women in business need to get better at saying no August 24, 2024 Too many women still believe being successful means sacrificing your personal life – it’s time we learned that disappointing others is a good habit to develop, says Viviane Paxinos For too long, society has perpetuated the belief that to be successful, women must give up their personal lives and wellbeing. We’re told the price of [...]
Ted Baker seller in the red as jobs cut and stores closed amid focus switch to Suit Direct August 23, 2024 A group which sells Ted Baker clothes across the UK slumped into the red as it significantly restructured itself to focus on its Suit Direct brand. As part of the move, Baird Group disposed of its license to sell Ben Sherman clothes, closed unprofitable stores, cut more than 100 jobs and appointed a new chief [...]
Why are convenience stores all the rage? August 22, 2024 Earlier this week, Waitrose became the latest UK grocer to announce a big push into the convenience store market. The supermarket giant will open 100 stores in the next five years as part of a $1bn investment plan. Waitrose follows Asda, Morrisons (with its McColl’s estate), Tesco, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op in ploughing ahead with [...]
Fred Perry issues bumper pay day as sales pass milestone August 22, 2024 British sporting and fashion brand Fred Perry has paid out a bumper dividend after its sales jumped past the £150m mark during its latest financial year. Founded by Wimbledon champion Fred Perry in 1952, the company has issued £90m in dividends for 2023 after its turnover totalled £154.1m for the year. The figure comes after [...]
Puregym poaches Punch Pubs boss as new chief August 21, 2024 Puregym has poached the chief executive of Punch Pubs & Co as its new boss. Clive Chesser will succeed Humphrey Cobbold, who will become Puregym’s new chair. Chesser and Cobbold are expected to take on their new roles on 6 November. In a separate announcement, Punch Pubs & Co confirmed that its chief operating officer, [...]