B&M: Revenue ticks up as new stores outperform June 4, 2025 Discount retailer B&M has reported a bump in its full-year earnings after progress in France and a better-than-anticipated performance at its new stores. The London-listed Luxembourg-headquartered company reported revenue of £5.57bn in the 52 weeks ended March 29, up 3.7 per cent year on year. It said the higher revenue was “primarily driven” by the contribution [...]
Is Asda’s ambitious turnaround starting to bear fruit? May 29, 2025 Asda has had a tumultuous year and a half. Since January 2024, the supermarket giant has undergone numerous leadership changes, IT issues, and sales woes. Its troubles began back in 2021, when it was bought in a debt-fuelled takeover by the billionaire Issa brothers – who have since departed the board – and private equity firm [...]
Grocery inflation jumps to highest level in more than a year May 28, 2025 Grocery price inflation shot up to 4.1 per cent in May, driven by chocolate and suncare products in the hottest start to the month on record. The rise follows a 3.8 per cent jump in April and a 1.8 per cent rise in March, according to Kantar. “This latest jump in grocery price inflation takes [...]
Spending in pubs surges as Brits flock to beer gardens May 28, 2025 Pubs enjoyed a boost in April during the sunny spring weather as Brits opted for outdoor beer gardens over indoor restaurants. Like-for-like sales growth at pubs reached 9.1 per cent year on year, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Sales across all hospitality outlets were 4.2 per cent ahead of April 2024 [...]
Hard to swallow: food inflation rises for fourth month in a row May 27, 2025 Food inflation rose for a fourth consecutive month in May, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) warning a new packaging tax and the government’s workers’ rights overhaul will fuel further price rises in the coming months. The cost of food rose by an average of 2.8 per cent year on year in May, up from [...]
Greggs gains momentum after lacklustre start to the year May 20, 2025 Greggs has reported an uptick in sales boosted by its expanded food and drink offering. Its share price rose six per cent as investors cheered the return to strong trading. The FTSE 250 company reported a 2.9 per cent increase in sales in the 20 weeks to May 17, an improvement from 1.7 per cent [...]
Clipper tea owner gets £76m pay day after KP Snacks deal boosts profit May 7, 2025 The owner of tea brand Clipper is in line for a huge pay day after the sale of Whole Earth to KP Snacks saw a massive spike in profit. Kallo Foods, whose products also include Kallo and Mrs Crimbles, sold the brand towards the end of 2024 for a then-undisclosed sum. New accounts have now [...]
UK tariff threats put small businesses on alert May 6, 2025 UK small businesses have already taken steps to reduce trading with the US amid a temporary reprieve from tariffs, a leading industry group has suggested. The Labour government is yet to rule out retaliatory tariffs on US goods given President Trump’s trade war could hit UK exporters in under three months. But new research indicates [...]
Breadmakers Hovis and Kingsmill in merger talks May 3, 2025 The owners of two of Britain’s biggest bread producers – Hovis and Kingsmill – are reportedly in discussions regarding a merger between the two firms as challenges deepen for the market. Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of Kingsmill’s parent company Allied Bakeries, and investment firm Endless, which owns Hovis, are in talks about a [...]
Employment Rights Bill will ‘cut retail staff numbers’ April 29, 2025 Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will lead to job cuts and price hikes, a poll of 31 major retailers has found, in the latest sign the government’s legislative agenda risks harming economic growth. The legislation, which is nearing its final stages in Parliament, introduces sweeping changes to zero-hours contracts, sick pay, leave, flexible working and dismissal, [...]