CMA begins redundancy programme after overshooting budget January 23, 2025 The competition watchdog is planning to slash its head count by around ten per cent after overshooting its budget last year, piling fresh pressure on the body following the sudden exit of its chair this week. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has faced public anger from the Prime minister and Chancellor over its [...]
Sainsbury’s to axe 3,000 jobs and close all in-store cafes January 23, 2025 Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has confirmed plans to axe more than 3,000 roles as it prepares to close all its remaining in-store cafes. The major overhaul will cut two per cent of its current workforce, which stands at 148,000. The move will also make around 20 per cent of senior management roles at Sainsbury’s redundant. The [...]
Weak UK sales pull Primark down despite international growth January 23, 2025 Lower sales in the UK and Ireland pulled Primark’s performance down in the last quarter of 2024 despite double-digit growth in countries like Spain, Portugal and the US. Primark’s parent company ABF Foods told markets this morning that sales in the UK and Ireland, which account for approximately 45 per cent of its market, declined [...]
‘It’s a clear message’: Reeves’ CMA scalp fires warning to regulators January 23, 2025 The government has sent a “clear message” to UK regulators by ousting the chair of competition watchdog, in what lawyers described as the “most overtly political” regulatory intervention of recent years. Marcus Bokkerink, who joined the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2022, was forced out of his role due to a “different approach” on [...]
Is your Netflix subscription price about to rise? January 22, 2025 Netflix is to increase its prices in several countries after reportedly gaining nearly 19 million subscribers during its last quarter. The streaming giant confirmed price hikes in the US, Canada, Argentina and Portugal. On whether price rises could soon be made in the UK, a Netflix spokesperson said there is “nothing to share as of [...]
Netflix to hike prices as live sport aids surge in subscriber numbers January 22, 2025 Netflix boasted 19m extra subscribers in their fourth quarter results for 2024, partly due to their rise in live sports offering, as the streaming giant passed 300m paid subscribers. The platform added live sport to its slate in 2024, showing boxing, NFL and WWE. It also won the media rights to the next two Fifa [...]
PRA under pressure to cut red tape as growth plans fail to excite the City January 22, 2025 The banking regulator is under pressure to go further and faster in its efforts to cut red tape from the City after it outlined plans to boost the growth of firms within its remit last week. In a letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, the PRA, which sits within the Bank of England and [...]
JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin calls on Starmer to reduce pub taxes January 22, 2025 Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin has once again called on the government and Keir Starmer to reduce the tax gap between supermarkets and pubs in his company’s latest trading update. Martin said following the government’s decision to hike the national minimum wage, business rates and employers’ national insurance, costs at Wetherspoon will increase by around £60m [...]
London commuter towns named ‘financial resilience capitals’ of the UK January 22, 2025 From pension plans to retirement savings, new data has revealed the 'financial resilience capitals' of the UK.
Lee can bring Home the Stayers’ Hurdle bacon January 21, 2025 BACKING the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is almost always a tough ask, but I think I’ve found a bet in the race seven weeks out. Defending champion Teahupoo is undoubtedly the worthy favourite to retain his crown after he comfortably won the race 12 months ago, and he sits at [...]