Dunelm sales better than expected thanks to lockdown living space upgrades May 19, 2021 Homeware’s retailer Dunelm enjoyed a better-than-expected sales lift over the tail end of the UK’s third national lockdown, the group said today, despite only being able to trade for five weeks after the 12 April easing of restrictions. Customers were able to flock to stores in mid-April after a winter lockdown, despite the reduced trading [...]
Future’s revenue surges 89 per cent with eCommerce and media lockdown boost May 19, 2021 Specialist media platform Future saw its revenue surge 89 per cent in the six months to 31 March, following growth in its eCommerce and media divisions amid global lockdowns. The group, which bought Marie Claire US earlier this month and the UK edition last year, saw its revenue lift to £272.6m from 144.3m in the [...]
West End landlord Great Portland Estates swings to loss as tourists and Londoners stay at home May 19, 2021 West End landlord Great Portland Estates slump as tourists and Londoners stay at home
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street at the Design Museum May 18, 2021 I don’t usually give much thought to my footwear when visiting an exhibition. But before setting off to the Design Museum this week I spent a couple of minutes mulling over the dozens of pairs of trainers I’ve accumulated over the years. I glossed over the three pairs of Nike Internationalist – mustard, burgundy and [...]
Wall Street rises on retail boost as jobs data helps FTSE 100 tick up May 18, 2021 Wall Street opened marginally higher this afternoon after better-than-expected retail results boosted optimism about rising consumer confidence. The Dow Jones ticked up 0.07 per cent at the open, while the S&P 500 edged 0.06 per cent higher. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.28 per cent at the opening bell. The modest gains came after Walmart and [...]
Boris Johnson: England on track to lift Covid restrictions on 21 June ‘as things stand’ May 18, 2021 Boris Johnson has said today that England is still on track to lift Covid restrictions on 21 June “as things stand”, but cautioned there will be a more conclusive answer in a few days’ time. He said there was “nothing conclusive in the data” on the spread of the Indian Covid variant “to say we [...]
Used car firm Cazoo sees revenue surge fivefold May 18, 2021 Used car firm Cazoo today said that its revenue grew nearly fivefold in the first quarter as the online dealership continues its rapid expansion. The company, which was set up in 2018, said that revenue in the first period was £113.9m, compared with £19.6m last year. The increase is the result of the firm selling [...]
City of London celebrates the return of indoor hospitality and culture as Government continues to ease lockdown restrictions May 18, 2021 The City of London Corporation has today (17 May) announced a further series of events to mark the reopening of its indoor hospitality, cultural and heritage institutions based across the Square Mile. As the Government’s roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions in England reaches its third step, Lord Mayor of London William Russell and Policy Chair of the [...]
Topps Tiles reports mixed six months after lockdown closed stores May 18, 2021 In the six months to 27 March, Topps Tiles produced a profit before tax of £4m, after lockdown restrictions in the first three months of the calendar year heavily impacted the group’s performance. The retailer reported a half year of contrast this morning, with retail like-for-like sales up nearly 20 per cent in the first [...]
Land Securities losses widen with work-from-home measures May 18, 2021 Commercial property firm Land Securities has seen its full-year loss widened this morning, as its London-centric office portfolio crumbled under work-from-home measures. The FTSE 100 firm has reported a loss before tax of £1.39bn for the 12 months ending 31 March, compared with a loss of £837m the year before. The pandemic pushed many companies [...]