December strikes: Who’s walking out when and how will it affect you? December 6, 2022 December is set to be a month blighted by industrial strife, with everyone from nurses and posties to train drivers and security staff to walk out. With inflation reaching a 41-year high at an eye-watering 11.1 per cent, thousands of workers have voted to down tools and ask for a real-term increase in pay. As [...]
Grocery inflation dips for first time in almost two years but ‘long way down’ for price increases December 6, 2022 Grocery price inflation has dipped for the first time in almost two years while the price of a family Christmas dinner sits at an eye-watering £31. The rampant pace of price increases let up slightly this month, dropping 0.1 percentage points – the first dip in 21 months. Four-week inflation now sits at 14.6 per [...]
Exclusive: Poundland owner opens 3,000th Pepco store amid discount frenzy December 1, 2022 Discount giant Pepco has opened its 3,00th store, with a new Berlin site, as momentum swells for affordable goods while households tighten their belts. The owner of the Pepco, Dealz and Poundland brands told CityA.M. its 3,000th Pepco store opened its doors today, with plans to roll out hundreds more stores in the near future. [...]
Union bosses warn of cash shortages at supermarkets as G4S workers vote to strike November 22, 2022 Some 1,200 cash and coin delivery workers employed by G4S are set to walk out, with union bosses warning of shortages at Tesco shops and JD Wetherspoon pubs. Union GMB said this would mark the first ever industrial action for G4S workers, with a strike set to begin at 3am on Monday 4 December. Some [...]
Wilko reviewing management of financing ahead of vital Christmas season November 20, 2022 Discounter Wilko has said it has a strong relationship with lenders, amid newspaper reports that it is urgently attempting to secure a £30m cash injection. The high street chain was reported to be in emergency talks with alternative lenders over rescue cash, off the back of a dramatic leap in interest rates, according to The [...]
Payouts fintech WeGift bags £26m funding as firms dish out cost of living support November 15, 2022 Digital payouts firm WeGift revealed it had bagged a £26m funding injection today as it looks to tap into a wave of firms dishing out one-off payments to staff and customers.
B&M hopes to win long-term customers from shoppers trading down in economic crunch November 10, 2022 B&M has said it is optimistic that it would be able to retain the loyalty of shoppers who are switching to the discount retailer amid the economic downturn. The British-Luxembourg business said it was “well positioned” to reap the rewards of customers who were trading down in both grocery and non-grocery, against the backdrop of [...]
Marks & Spencer profit dented as Ocado joint venture books £0.7m loss November 9, 2022 Marks & Spencer’s half-year profit slid on Wednesday after it said its joint venture with online grocer Ocado had suffered a £700,000 loss. In half-year results to 1 October, M&S said its group profit before tax was £205.5m, versus a £269.4m sum the previous year. Bosses pointed to a lack of business rates relief compared [...]
Shoppers continue turning to own label groceries as yearly food bill to leap by £682 November 8, 2022 Sales of own-brand groceries shot up last month while fewer consumers forked out for a Halloween pumpkin this year, as households seek to trim down costs. Shoppers are increasingly switching to cheaper alternatives of food essentials, as historically high levels of inflation amp up the pressure on Brits this winter, according to data from insights [...]
Flying high: Ryanair breaks another monthly record with 15.7m passengers in October November 2, 2022 Ryanair has broken yet another monthly record, with 15.7 million passengers flying during the month of October. These figures were a record high for the budget airline, who said they were up 14 per cent on pre-COVID levels. The Irish firm has continued to post a steady incline in passenger numbers, with the last few [...]