THG boss Matt Moulding slams ‘numerous’ proposals from suitors as unacceptable April 21, 2022 E-commerce beauty firm THG has dubbed a number of approaches from potential bidders as “unacceptable.” There had been speculation that the online retailer – which owns brands including Cult Beauty and Lookfantastic – could be prime for a takeover, after experiencing a turbulent year. In a trading update, CEO Matthew Moulding said the board had [...]
UK missing out on lucrative cannabis revenues with ‘not fit for purpose’ laws April 20, 2022 Current cannabis laws are “not fit for purpose”, according to one of Britain’s top think tanks, as the country misses out on lucrative revenues and wrestles with higher crime. Britain stands to gain billions each year, should it adopt more liberal reforms such as the US and the Netherlands, researcher at the Social Market Foundation, [...]
Retail footfall lifted by shoppers stocking up for long Easter weekend April 19, 2022 Shops saw a footfall injection in the run up to Easter as Brits flocked to high streets to make the most of the good weather. Footfall during Monday to Thursday last week was up by an average of 15 per cent, with a 21.9 per cent rise on Thursday. Footfall across all retail destinations rose [...]
WH Smith: Orders from Funky Pigeon website suspended after cyber attack hits cards firm April 19, 2022 WH Smith has said Funky Pigeon, its greetings card subsidiary, fell victim to a cyber security incident last week. In an update on the London Stock Exchange, the stationary giant said orders from the Funky Pigeon website have been temporarily suspended. The online retailer was affected by an incident on Thursday 14 April. Customer payment [...]
Jacob Rees-Mogg: Civil servants must ‘rapidly return’ to offices April 19, 2022 Ministers are reportedly being told to send a “clear message” to civil servants for a “rapid return” to offices. Up to three quarters of staff are still working from home, according to The Telegraph, as Whitehall sources accuse a “silent majority” of officials of not “pulling their weight. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for government efficiency, [...]
Dunelm warns of ‘significant headwinds’ but maintains profit guidance April 14, 2022 Dunelm’s boss warned of increasing financial pressures on shoppers but said the company’s variety of products would help it continue to grow. In an update on the London Stock Exchange, the homeware retailer said it hit £399m in total sales in its third quarter. This was up 69 per cent on the year prior, when [...]
Supermarkets drag down London indexes on spending jitters April 13, 2022 London’s top indexes were muted today as investors ditched shares in supermarkets despite Tesco posting bumper profits. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index edged 0.05 per cent higher to 7,580.80 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped 0.12 per cent to 20,984.45 [...]
Sainsbury’s and Waitrose ‘investigating as a matter of urgency’ after worker at sushi supplier has finger tips cut off April 13, 2022 Waitrose and Sainsbury’s are investigating “as a matter of urgency” after a worker had finger tips chopped off in Taiko Foods’ factory, which supplies sushi to the retailers. The retailers are looking into the incident, in which Viraj Kakadia operated reportedly unsafe and dangerous vegetable cutting machine at the Taiko Foods factory in Acton. The [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile? April 13, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. LHV UK Fintech and crypto banking services provider LHV UK has bolstered its board with an independent non-executive director. Stepping onto the board at the beginning of May, Keith Butcher joins the City based firm with a raft [...]
Spending cool down weighs on London-listed supermarkets April 12, 2022 Early signs of consumers pulling back on spending drove supermarkets lower today in the City, dragging down London’s top indexes. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.55 per cent to 7,576.66 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250, which is more aligned to the health of the UK economy, fell by the same amount [...]