Heatwave: London fire chief calls for urgent barbecue ban as blazes rage in record heat July 19, 2022 An urgent and immediate ban on disposable barbecues has been called for by the London Fire Brigade as multiple blazes rage across the country. The emergency service said it had attended more than 1,000 grass and open land fires since the start of June, as the UK recorded its hottest ever temperature today. The Brigade’s [...]
Supermarket shoppers face £454 extra to yearly grocery bill as inflation bites July 19, 2022 Shoppers are now facing a £454 increase to their annual supermarket bills, with grocery price inflation edging towards the highest level since 2008. According to the latest numbers from Kantar, grocery price inflation now sits at 9.9 per cent for the past four weeks. This marks the second highest level of inflation seen since 2008, [...]
Brits turn to ice cream, paddling pools, BBQs and fans as temperatures set to break record today July 17, 2022 Sales of paddling pools and fans are soaring and ice cream is set to break a record for the amount bought in a single week as Brits prepare for more heat with temperatures continuing to rise. With an “amber” extreme heat warning in place for much of England and Wales today, tomorrow and Tuesday, Tesco [...]
Competition watchdog CMA launches probe into Morrisons takeover of McColl’s July 13, 2022 The CMA, the UK’s competition watchdog, confirmed this morning the launch of a ‘phase one’ investigation into Morrisons’ takeover of McColl’s. Bradford-based supermarket chain Morrisons snapped up McColl’s in a £190m rescue deal in May after the convenience chain collapsed into administration in light of soaring costs due to supply chain disruption, inflation and its [...]
June bookings for Hostelworld climb to pre-pandemic levels as pent-up demand for travel surges July 12, 2022 June bookings for Hostelworld sites hit 80 per cent of June 2019 levels as backpackers flock back on holiday this summer. Net revenue exceeded 2019 levels by 104 per cent thanks to higher average booking values, and the firm’s success in April and in May in drawing backpackers in once again. Booking demand into Europe, the largest destination [...]
JD Sports hires former Morrisons chair Andrew Higginson to fill the boots of Peter Cowgill after 18 years at the helm July 8, 2022 JD Sports has hired Andrew Higginson to help fill the boots of Peter Cowgill as the sportswear retailer’s new chair. Mr Cowgill stepped down from JD Sports in May after 18 year as the company’s executive chairman. The resignation came after the company was fined £4.3 million by the competition watchdog for exchanging information with [...]
Revenue climbs for Supreme despite slowdown of lighting vapes July 5, 2022 Vaping giant Supreme posts revenue growth of seven per cent to £130.8m in its full year results thanks to fresh acquisitions and customer momentum for 88vape.
Heinz baked beans and ketchup disappear from Tesco shelves amid price increase row June 30, 2022 Tesco, the country’s largest supermarket, is facing shortages of Heinz baked beans and ketchup after a row over price hikes. The US salad-cream maker has hit pause on supplying Brits’ cupboard staples, with some stores having already run out of products and some unavailable to order online. A Tesco spokesperson said: “With household budgets under [...]
Small businesses lambast government’s price cut plan for being a “slap in the face” June 29, 2022 Asking small businesses to cut product prices as a way for the government to help Brits with the cost-of-living crisis was deemed as a “slap in the face” by trade bodies. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) argued that forcing small firms to “soak up additional costs just isn’t realistic,” as business owners are no [...]
Sales at Morrisons drop as supermarket boss cites ‘very fragile’ trading environment June 29, 2022 Supermarket Morrisons has seen sales drop by 6.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, blaming a “very fragile and difficult consumer environment.” In a trading update for the 13 weeks ending 1 May, the grocer said it had experienced a “very challenging” trading environment with cash-strapped Brits tightening their belts as inflation [...]