Private equity buyout deals soar more than 50 per cent in pre-Brexit rush January 24, 2019 Private equity buyout deals were up more than 50 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year driven by the pressure to complete agreements ahead of Brexit. Analysis of UK mid-market activity showed that the figure was 56 per cent higher that the fourth quarter of 2017, and activity levels hit a 10-year high. [...]
Crystal Palace will be underdogs against Tottenham in the FA Cup but have proven they can beat anybody on their day January 24, 2019 Crystal Palace may languish in the bottom half of the Premier League but they have established themselves as a team more than capable of going toe to toe with the best around. For England’s bigger sides, facing Palace represents a test that must be negotiated with extreme caution, as the majority of the Big Six [...]
Iceland removes its name from some products after failing to meet own palm oil deadline January 24, 2019 British supermarket Iceland removed its name from some of its own-brand products last year, after it realised it couldn't meet its campaign target of selling no products containing palm oil under its branding. The retailer said it would remove all palm oil from 100 per cent of its own products by the end of 2018, due [...]
Here’s what happened to the UK professional jobs market in 2018 and what to watch out for in 2019 January 24, 2019 It is not unusual after the rest and relaxation of Christmas for people to consider their current career path and decide to search for new opportunities. But it’s also important for these prospective jobseekers – and hiring managers – to look back at the previous year, in order to learn about the current state of [...]
70,000 retail jobs lost in 2018, says trade body BRC January 24, 2019 Panic over further troubles on the high street has been underlined this morning, with new figures showing that some 70,000 retail jobs were lost last year. A retail employment monitor out today from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has found that the total number of jobs was down 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of [...]
SFO publishes terms of deferred prosecution agreement with Tesco after reporting restrictions lifted January 23, 2019 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has published the full terms of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) it agreed with Tesco following the 2014 accounting scandal. Reporting restrictions around the DPA – a voluntary agreement which allows companies to forego prosecution by fulfilling certain requirements – were lifted when former Tesco director Carl Rogberg was acquitted today. [...]
John Lewis to close historic Knight & Lee department store in Southsea January 23, 2019 John Lewis today said it is shutting its historic Knight & Lee department store in Southsea in the chain’s first closure for more than a decade. The department store said it will close Knight & Lee, which at 35,000 square feet (sq ft) is its smallest outlet, in July this year. Read more: John Lewis enjoys [...]
Pub group Marston’s scales back expansion plans as it looks to slash debts January 23, 2019 Marston's today said it will limit its expansion plans in a bid to reduce its £1.4bn debt pile amid continued economic uncertainty. In a trading update Marston’s said like-for-like sales rose 1.4 per cent in the 16-week period to 19 January, boosted by strong trading over the Christmas fortnight. Read more: Pub chain Marston's raises a [...]
Joules sees half-year sales rise thanks to strong online trading January 23, 2019 Fashion retailer Joules today reported a double-digit rise in profits for the half year, boosted by strong online trading. Joules said pre-tax profits for the 26 weeks to 25 November were up 14.7 per cent on the same period last year to £10.7m. Read more: Joules shines amid retail gloom as it prepares for Brexit Total [...]
Hotel Chocolat tastes success after sales surge over Christmas season January 23, 2019 Hotel Chocolat enjoyed a boom in sales over the festive season, as buyers flocked to the luxury sweet maker in spite of a swathe of challenges facing much of Britain’s retail industry. Total sales for the 13 weeks to the end of December jumped by 15 per cent compared with the same period last year, [...]