Not so little: Christmas jumpers power Lidl sales with one sold every two seconds January 11, 2022 A surge in demand for Christmas jumpers helped discount supermarket giant Lidl to post a 2.6% rise in sales over the festive season. The firm said its Christmas jumpers were the fastest-selling item in its so-called Middle of Lidl aisle, with around one sold every two seconds on its first day of sale. The group [...]
Ovo Energy says sorry after it tells customers to do star jumps and cuddle pets to cut down bills January 11, 2022 Ovo Energy has apologised after it advised customers to do star jumps, cuddle pets and eat porridge to cut down energy bills and stay warm.
Shoppers spend £14bn on Christmas categories as supermarket sales growth exceeds forecasts January 11, 2022 Shoppers dashed to supermarkets to make last-minute Christmas purchases as weekly sales growth peaked in the week ending 25 December. Brits splashed out £14bn on Christmas products over the three month festive period, according to data from NielsenIQ. Sales growth for the period surpassed initial forecasts from NielsenIQ analysts, who predicted sales would grow to [...]
Strong retail sales in December despite Omicron onslaught January 11, 2022 UK retailers posted strong sales last month as shoppers splashed out on bumper Christmas celebrations despite the surge in Covid-19 cases, according to new figures. The latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor revealed that total sales rose 2.1% in the month to January 1 compared with the same period last year. It added that like-for-like sales [...]
Plan B Omicron curbs derail pubs and restaurants’ vital Christmas trading period January 11, 2022 The re-emergence of curbs to tamp down on the spread of Covid-19 derailed the vital Christmas trading period for Britain’s hospitality sector, reveal new figures published today. Brits pulled back sharply on spending at pubs, bars and restaurants over the festive period, according to research undertaken by Barclaycard. Spending at restaurants sunk over 14 per [...]
Central London continues to feel impact of Plan B measures January 10, 2022 Central London has suffered another blow to its recovery as shoppers stay away from the city’s retail hotspots. Footfall in the West End and other areas dropped by more than a quarter (25.6 per cent) last week compared to the week before. “With employees continuing to work from home the drop in footfall in Central [...]
We discover the perfect family-friendly ski retreat in Austria’s Arlberg January 10, 2022 “So glad you’re here”: the oft repeated words from hotel and restaurant owners who have just emerged from a strict lockdown and are, for the first time in months, welcoming tourists. We had chosen the Arlberg region (specifically St. Anton and St. Christoph) for a pre-Christmas ski when all things Covid were looking up. As [...]
Gas prices will remain high over winter says experts January 10, 2022 UK gas prices are unlikely to revert to pre-pandemic levels "anytime soon" according to Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.
Aldi had its best Christmas ever as sales go through the roof January 10, 2022 Aldi has hailed its “best ever” Christmas sales as trading rebounded in December. The discount supermarket chain revealed that sales increased by 0.4 per cent against the same month last year, when sales across grocery stores had been buoyed by lockdown measures across hospitality firms. Aldi claimed figures from research firm Kantar show it was [...]
Restaurant groups suffer £673m in losses as bosses call for tax relief January 10, 2022 The country’s top restaurant groups saw losses skyrocket in a year, hitting £673m, as bosses have called for more cash to help ailing venues. The top 100 groups saw losses increase 174 per cent in the year to the end of September 2021, according to an analysis of company accounts by accountancy firm UHY Hacker [...]