Christmas sales grow at St Pancras International despite retail gloom January 15, 2019 Commuters choosing to do their Christmas shopping at St Pancras International station grew 6.3 per cent in 2018 compared to the year before, according to figures released by the station's operator today. The rise was driven by growing passenger numbers and strong growth in non-food sales, the company said. St Pancras has welcomed a number of [...]
Shell’s kitchen: Jamie Oliver launches deli range at petrol stations across the UK January 15, 2019 TV chef Jamie Oliver has defended his partnership with Shell as he prepares to launch a new deli range across the oil giant’s service stations. The restaurateur and UN environmental champion said the deal will help him bring healthier food-to-go to more people, despite criticism from groups such as Greenpeace. Read more: Restaurant profits plummet [...]
Patisserie Valerie non-exec director James Horler resigns with immediate effect January 14, 2019 Patisserie Valerie’s non-executive director James Horler has become the latest senior figure to resign from his position at the beleaguered cake chain. According to a statement from the firm on the London Stock Exchange this afternoon, Horler has resigned “with immediate effect in order to focus on his role as chief executive officer at another [...]
Galacticos! Inside the US law firm building the most expensive team in UK legal history January 13, 2019 In 2000 Real Madrid signed Portuguese football star Luis Figo from arch rivals Barcelona in a move that signalled the start of the galacticos era at the Spanish club which used its financial clout to bring other international stars such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Brazilian striker Ronaldo to the Bernabeu in the following [...]
Focus On Westminster: The home of Big Ben hasn’t traditionally been home to many Londoners, but nearby Victoria is changing that January 11, 2019 It is a curious truth that while Westminster may be home to the capital’s most famous icons, from Big Ben to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster hasn’t traditionally been home to many Londoners. Its proximity to the seat of government and its grand offices of state inspired companies to sprout up around it, creating a [...]
Christmas shoppers shunned the high street, but attacking Amazon won’t help January 11, 2019 Between the fierce renewal of the Brexit saga, parliamentary shenanigans, and a particularly chilling cold front (interpret that literally or metaphorically, as you will), the merriness of Christmas feels like a thing of the past. But for the high street, it feels like Christmas never came at all. Reports of retail sales, released yesterday by [...]
Cherry on the cake: Greggs shares rise as baker lifts profit outlook for third time in a year January 9, 2019 Greggs is on a roll, seeing off problems in the food sector which have hit competitors to up its profit guidance for the third time in less than a year today. The chain said it now expects 2018 profits before tax of £88m, up from predictions of £86m in November. The Newcastle-founded baker is celebrating its [...]
Greene King toasts record Christmas trading amid cost-cutting plans January 8, 2019 Pub chain Greene King today recorded strong sales growth over Christmas and the New Year as it cashed in on festive drinking. Greene King said like-for-sale sales over the last two weeks rose 10.9 per cent, while Christmas day sales hit a record £7.7m. The chain, which operates almost 3,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels across [...]
High street remains in hedge funds’ sights as bets against the consumer sector rise in final quarter January 6, 2019 Hedge funds continued to turn the screws on high street retailers, restaurants and makers of consumer goods at the end of last year, with short positions in the sector increasing 20 per cent. The rise in bets against the industry came in the final three months of the year, and means nearly one-third of total [...]
From sugar to saving, this government is treating us like a nation of children January 4, 2019 The morning I turned eight, I woke up and told my father that I was “halfway there”. This, in my home state of Connecticut, was in reference to getting my driving licence, a process I could start on my sixteenth birthday. As a kid, this was the milestone that I was most excited to reach, [...]