Smith & Nephew hits back at claims it massaged profit margins October 14, 2024 Embattled hip and knee implant maker Smith & Nephew has hit back at a report claiming that it deployed aggressive accounting techniques to bolster its profit margins.
Retailers pin hopes on bumper golden quarter with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas October 14, 2024 The final three months of the year, also known as the golden quarter, are make-or-break for retailers. Retail spending has consistently languished this year, or been propped up by margin-carving discounts, but pent-up demand is expected to give the sector a much-needed boost during the holidays, according to a panel of industry experts. Despite consumer [...]
The Dorchester Hotel owner struggles with rising costs and fewer guests October 14, 2024 The group that includes The Dorchester Hotel in London fell into the red in 2023 as it struggled with rising costs and fewer guests. The Dorchester Group has reported a pre-tax loss of £5.2m for its latest financial year, having made a pre-tax profit of £17m in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show [...]
Aga Rangemaster cuts almost 200 jobs as sales cool October 14, 2024 Aga Rangemaster has blamed “a difficult year” and “challenging market conditions” as it cut almost 200 jobs in 2023. The company, which is headquartered near Nottingham, reduced its headcount in the year to 30 December, 2023, from 836 to 660. The latest total comes after the business had employed 907 people at the end of [...]
Giggling Squid laughs all the way to the bank as Thai restaurant chain returns to profit October 14, 2024 Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid returned to profit during its latest financial year as it sales hit another record. The Guildford-headquartered company has reported a pre-tax profit of £1.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. The new total comes after the business fell to a pre-tax loss of £1.9m in the prior year. [...]
UK inflation expected to fall below two per cent target October 13, 2024 UK inflation is tipped to fall below the Bank of England's two per cent target for the first time in more than three years.
Hospitality needs a magic spark of confidence to boom, brewery boss says October 10, 2024 The boss of Britain’s oldest brewer, Faversham-based Shepherd Neame, has suggested that the hospitality industry is nearly ready for a return to a boom period, but only is we serve up a spark of confidence. Neame suggested that if fundamentals remain strong and mortgages continue to fall, consumer spending on hospitality would follow a similar [...]
US inflation comes in above expectations following hot jobs report October 10, 2024 US inflation came in slightly above expectations in September, bolstering the case for a slower pace of rate cuts over the coming months. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the headline rate of inflation fell to 2.4 per cent in September, down from 2.5 per cent last month but slightly ahead of [...]
Birmingham Airport to finally shake off demise of Thomas Cook and Flybe October 10, 2024 Birmingham Airport has said it is finally set to shake off the demise of Thomas Cook and Flybe as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The transport hub increased its passenger numbers to 98 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, up from 86 per cent in 2022, and is now forecasting it [...]
The View from The Shard remains troubled despite ‘positive’ outlook October 10, 2024 The company behind the viewing gallery at The Shard remained in the red for a fourth consecutive year despite it its revenue continuing to rise. The London attraction has reported a pre-tax loss of £678,839 for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The total comes after the firm also posted a pre-tax loss [...]