Crossrail LIVE: First Elizabeth Line train departs after hundreds of excited Londoners wait for hours at Paddington May 24, 2022 The first Elizabeth line train from Paddington through central London departed on time at 6.33am carrying hundreds of excited transport enthusiasts. A crowd of people gathered outside Paddington station in an attempt to to be on the first Elizabeth line train when services begin at 6.30am. There were around 300 people waiting at 6am. Colin [...]
Pound on course for best week since Christmas 2020 May 21, 2022 The pound was on course for its best week against the dollar since December 2020 driven by investors betting on the Bank of England having to keep raising interest rates to get on top of a historic inflation crunch. Markets are baking in a fifth successive rate hike at the Bank’s next meeting in June [...]
The Works brings back dividend as demand for cheap books and Peppa Pig toys boosts sales May 20, 2022 Discount retailer The Works has reinstated its dividend after telling investors its sales are now significantly higher than at pre-pandemic levels, on the back of a record Christmas and booming demand for books. The firm said it had capitalised on the “BookTok” trend on social media platform TikTok to boost sales of its discount [...]
Over 60? Supermarket giant Iceland to fight cost-of-living crisis by giving older shoppers 10 per cent discount May 20, 2022 Frozen food chain Iceland is set to introduce a discount for seniors as Britons struggle with soaring prices. The supermarket chain has announced that, from May 24, customers aged over 60 will receive a 10 per cent discount on their groceries every Tuesday with no minimum spend. In order to redeem the discount, senior shoppers [...]
Pubs to rake in bank holiday sales with 90m pint prediction May 19, 2022 Pubs will pocket some £105m in pint sales from the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday as millions of Brits flood to beer gardens to make the most of the extended weekend. Around 90m pints are to be sold to thirsty punters, according to the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) forecast. Pubs are eagerly hoping for [...]
The prodigal daughter returns: a love letter to the Northern Line after four long months May 17, 2022 Being grateful for the Monday morning commute is normally the purview of yoga bloggers or influencers, not journalists. But yesterday was a moment to rejoice as the Bank branch of the Northern Line finally reopened its doors after four long months of stasis. The closure of the Moorgate to Kennington service was announced last year [...]
Downton: A New Era is nostalgic, predictable fun May 6, 2022 Familiarity is king when it comes to cinema at the moment. Superheroes, video games, and even the Jackass crew have all found success prodding at our nostalgia over the last few months. It’s the perfect time for the return of Downton Abbey, the cosy TV drama which led to an even cosier 2019 film. The [...]
Card Factory posts revenue growth thanks to store recovery and occasion boom May 3, 2022 Card Factory posted 28 per cent revenue growth this morning to £364.4m thanks to the steady recovery of stores following the easing of lockdown restrictions, alongside an online performance significantly ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
Brits opt for last-minute holidays following post-Covid uncertainty May 2, 2022 Brits are booking their holidays later to avoid travel disruption, according to a report published yesterday. Data from Advantage, the UK’s largest consortium of travel agents, showed that 40 per cent of bookings are for the next 12 weeks, with reservations for May half-term holidays down by 5 per cent on 2019 levels. Before Covid, [...]
How TikTok saved the bookstar: Will the UK stay in love with reading after lockdown? April 29, 2022 A decade ago, the narrative of bookselling was of the surging popularity of digital book sales, with physical editions left on the shelf. Figures from the Publishers’ Association in 2012 saw digital book sales shoot up 54 per cent while physical book sales dipped five per cent. Fast forward to 2021 and UK publishing sales [...]