A wine delivery service uses letterbox-shaped bottles so you don’t miss a delivery January 13, 2017 A London entrepreneur has solved the problem of missed wine bottle deliveries. After winning £20,000 in prize money on CNBC's Pop Up Start Up TV show, Joe Revell said he is launching his subscription-based Garcon Wines in the UK. The Graze-like business model is enhanced by a "revolutionary" bottle design which the company says will allow easier deliveries. Read [...]
Mitchells & Butlers reports strong festive period with sales up 4.7 per cent January 13, 2017 Pub, bar and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers has reported an uptick in sales during the first quarter of the year, citing a particularly strong festive period. The figures Like-for-like sales growth for the year-to-date increased to 1.7 per cent in the 15 weeks to 7 January, with trading over the festive period "particularly strong [...]
Not hampered: Fortnum & Mason posts record Christmas results January 13, 2017 Fortnum & Mason enjoyed a record festive period, as customers flocked to high-end Christmas gifts, including the retailer’s signature hampers. The figures Like-for-like sales up to 1 January increased by 16 per cent on the previous year, driven by a 22 per cent increase in online sales for the year. Indeed, Fortnum’s online trading contributed [...]
“Brexit tourists” from Hong Kong, China and UAE spent millions on British high streets this Christmas January 13, 2017 Tourist spending is expected to hit a record high this year, but figures to be published today show the weak pound has already given the UK economy a significant boost. So-called "Brexit tourists" took advantage of the pound's slump by spending more than £725m on British high streets in December, the data shows. Payment processor Worldpay analysed transaction data [...]
Betting: Manchester United to continue their winning run over Liverpool on Sunday January 12, 2017 No Premier League game provokes more passion, excitement and emotion than the North-West derby between Manchester United and Liverpool. With the ultra-competitive race for points at the top of the table providing no margin for error, the meeting between the two heated rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday comes with more than its fair share [...]
Unicredit shareholders approve Italy’s largest ever rights issue of €13bn January 12, 2017 Shareholders at Unicredit have today given the thumbs up to the bank's €13bn rights issue. Italy's largest bank announced the country's largest ever rights issue last month in a bid to rebalance its finances as part of its ongoing turnaround plan, with the shares set to be issued by June. The bank's investors today granted the lender [...]
British Airways cabin crew ramp up strike action with fresh 72-hour walkout set for 19 January January 12, 2017 British Airways cabin crew will stage a fresh 72-hour walkout from 19 January in an ongoing dispute over pay, Unite union has announced. Members of the so-called mixed fleet cabin crew (working long- and short-haul flights) at Heathrow will take part in a three-day strike next week. The union said it marked a stand against [...]
Londis and Budgens owner Booker Group beats expectations with its sales January 12, 2017 Wholesaler Booker Group's share price rose in trading today after the company reported a rise in sales. In the four months to 30 December, Booker Group's non-tobacco like-for-like sales increased 5.1 per cent, far ahead of analysts' expectations of between zero per cent and 0.5 per cent. Total non tobacco sales increased 4.8 per cent. [...]
Winners and losers from retail’s “Super Thursday” January 12, 2017 So many retailers decided to update the market on trading today that Shore Capital analysts published a note to complain about it. But as the morning has progressed, clear winners and losers have emerged from the data deluge. Here are our picks: Winners JD Sports put its gymwear rival Sports Direct to shame today as it scored [...]
Outraged City analysts bash retailers for choosing to report on the same day January 12, 2017 Overloaded City analysts bashed UK retailers this morning for all choosing to publish financial updates on the same day. Today has been branded "Super Thursday" because so many retailers are publishing their Christmas figures. Financial reports have come from Marks and Spencer, Tesco, AO World, Debenhams, Asos and Primark-owner Associated British Foods, to name just a few. [...]