Whitbread pockets £2.6bn revenue: Premier Inn owner’s shares soar five per cent despite ‘most challenging’ period April 25, 2023 Whitbread said its earnings returned to pre-pandemic levels with the Premier Inn owner’s bottom line boosted by Brits embracing more leisure and travel. Whitbread, which also owns restaurants Beefeater and Bar+Block, reported revenues of £2.6bn for the year to March 2023, up 54 per cent from £1.7bn the previous year. Whitbread (WTB) shares soared nearly [...]
Ex-Asda boss secures rescue deal of upmarket online butcher April 24, 2023 The former boss of supermarket Asda has led a rescue of an upmarket online butcher that counts the likes of Harrods and Fortnum & Mason among its customers. Andy Clarke – who was chief executive of Asda from 2010 until 2016 – headed up a group of investors to buy Farmison & Co, which collapsed [...]
Why Turkey’s south western beaches are taking flight this spring April 24, 2023 Ancient sites and untouched beaches: Angelina Villa- Clarke on a fab corner of Turkey’s Turquoise Riviera In the abandoned town of Kayakoy, the streets are dusty and thyme grows tall and wild, scenting the air with a sweet piquancy. Derelict houses have gaping windows; ancient churches are in ruins, their frescoes faded and mosaics crumbling. [...]
Could Mega May save retail? Hopes are riding high on King’s coronation and bumper May Day bank holiday boost April 21, 2023 Could the coronation of King Charles III help lift the UK’s post-Covid retail industry? Our retail reporter Laura McGuire finds out. March has proved to be another challenging month for the retail industry as sales fell 0.9 per cent due to soaring living costs and the third wettest March in history. However, with Royal celebrations [...]
The Square Mile and Me: Steve McGill on Boots, negativity and the Four Seasons April 20, 2023 We dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good: this week, Steve McGill details his life running the fastest-growing speciality broking firm in the world, McGill and Partners. Quick-fire round What’s your favourite…?
Deliveroo: Nine per cent dip in orders as Brits lay off takeaways in hard times – but revenues propped up by ads April 20, 2023 Deliveroo reported a disappointing nine per cent drop in takeaway orders but it was not enough to dampen a spike in its revenue for the first leg of the year. Tthe average number of customers visiting the app fell to 7.1 million from 7.6 million in the same period last year, as high inflation and [...]
A glass of wine with: Small Things wine-in-a-can creator Ian Batt April 19, 2023 One day surfing at the beach, Australian winemaker Ian Batt realised wine wasn’t reflecting his lifestyle or ethos. He is now on a mission to upgrade canned wine’s image with his range of well-crafted, first-class wines launching in the UK next month. What inspired you create Small Things Wine?I created a premium wine in can [...]
Coronation: 250,000 tourists set to serve up a multi-million pound boost to London’s pub and retail sector April 18, 2023 London’s retail and pub businesses are gearing up for a multi-million pound boost in trade over the weekend of the King’s Coronation in May as tourists flocking to the city will send sales in drinks and shopping to new highs. Sarah Willingham, owner of bar group Nightcap PLC, told City A.M that the celebration is [...]
Doing Portugal’s Algarve the smart way, at Pine Cliffs Resort April 17, 2023 THE WEEKEND: Perched on the cliffs above Falésia Beach on Portugal’s Algarve coastline, Pine Cliffs resort is the perfect gateway to exploring this sun-drenched region of southern Portugal. In reach are resort towns, such as Vilamoura and Albufeira, as well as the charming inland village of Estoi and Santa Bárbara de Nexe (the latter is [...]
Would London benefit from a tourism tax? April 16, 2023 What sets London apart from its neighbouring European cities? The City’s bustling financial centre? A super connected underground rail system? Its diverse population of inhabitants? The answer could well be London’s hesitancy to tax its tourists for overnight stays. Even the country’s de facto second city Manchester has followed in the footsteps of Paris and [...]