High spirits: City Pub Group cheers investors with sales rise as expansion continues May 20, 2019 The City Pub Group shareholders will this morning be toasting a rise in sales of more than one-third so far this year. Read more: City Pub Group shares rise as it returns to profit The pub operator, which runs 45 sites mainly in London, said sales were up 35 per cent on last year for [...]
Fast food chain Leon reports widening loss as rising costs hit margins May 19, 2019 Fast food chain Leon posted a record turnover of more than £65.2m last year but a third consecutive loss as it increases its UK footprint. The healthy food company has had a rapid rise in recent years, increasing its turnover by more than 15 per cent last year – from £56.3m in 2017 – [...]
Just Eat shares fall after Amazon leads $575m investment round in rival Deliveroo May 17, 2019 Just Eat shares fell eight per cent this morning after Amazon led a $575m (£450m) investment round in rival Deliveroo. Read more: Deliveroo to 'invest heavily' in London tech with Amazon's £450m Just Eat's shares dropped 8.3 per cent to 621p in early trading after the fund raising. Analysts at Peel Hunt said that the Amazon [...]
Amazon leads £450m Deliveroo funding round as startup expands London tech team May 17, 2019 Deliveroo today confirmed Amazon is leading a $575m (£450m) funding round in the food delivery business as it plans to expand its London engineering team with some of the cash. Read more: Amazon in talks to invest millions in Deliveroo The round, including money from existing investors T Rowe Price, Fidelity Management and Greenoaks, takes [...]
The Restaurant Group sees sales rocket 57 per cent after Wagamama merger May 17, 2019 Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group began to feel the benefits of its controversial Wagamama purchase as sales soared 57 per cent in the year to May. Read more: The Restaurant Group profits fall as like-for-like sales slip Like-for-like sales rose 2.8 per cent, meaning the acquisition of Wagamama for £559m at the end [...]
Relations with China are important, but so is the need to stand up to them May 17, 2019 China has become a significant player in the City and there can be no doubt that its activities in London help strengthen the Square Mile’s role as a global financial centre. Read more: City Corporation slammed for decision to ban Taiwan from Lord Mayor's show The average daily trading volume of the Chinese currency in [...]
Amazon in talks to invest £450m in Deliveroo May 16, 2019 Amazon is in talks to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in Deliveroo giving the food delivery app a boost as it takes on takeaway rival Uber Eats. The internet retailer will announce a deal to back Deliveroo as part of a $575m (£450m) funding round which is expected to be revealed in the coming days, [...]
Island hopping, dodging coconuts and chasing giant tortoises in Seychelles May 10, 2019 Biking around the flat sandy paths of Desroches island in the Indian Ocean, with only birds, turtles and tortoises for company, I happen across a warning sign nailed to a palm tree on the edge of the new Four Seasons resort. “Beware of falling coconuts”. Just moments later I encounter a similarly rustic sign bashed [...]
Follow the money: Brexiter Tories stuff their war chests ahead of leadership election May 10, 2019 The one thing that is always guaranteed to raise eyebrows in British politics – not least since the scandal that rocked this country exactly ten years ago – is MPs’ finances. Amid a greater focus on transparency, Commons members must declare money they earn outside of their salary as an elected representative. For some, this could be [...]
Ocado chips in to £7m round for UK robotics startup Karakuri May 9, 2019 Ocado has led a £7m seed round for UK robotics firm Karakuri, its first investment in a tech startup. Other backers in the round included Hoxton Ventures, Firstminute Capital and Taylor Brothers. The online supermarket chain will use Karakuri's technology to expand its grocery offering after a fire devastated one of its automated warehouses. It [...]