Brands in London “suffering”: Fresh calls to scrap ‘tourist tax’ amid Mulberry losses June 28, 2023 Fresh calls have been made to reinstate VAT-free shopping for international tourists, after the chief of Mulberry warned its profits have been hit hard by it as they ditch London for Paris and Milan. Pre-tax profit at the British handbag maker fell to £13.2m in the year to April, down from £21.3m the prior year. [...]
Mulberry profit takes a hit as luxury brand invests in global expansion June 28, 2023 Mulberry’s pretax profit slumped in the year, despite an uptick in revenue, as increasing costs weighed on performance. In the year to April, the luxury handbag maker reported an underlying profit of £2.5m, down from £14.6m last year. On a reported basis its pretax profit was £13.2m, which took into account impairment reversals on some [...]
The Notebook: Sir Rocco Forte on the hated tourist tax, counteracting climate hysteria and Boris Johnson’s legacy June 26, 2023 The Notebook is a column where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s hotel industry giant Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels My hotels in Italy, Germany and Belgium are booming. But occupancy in London is not what it was last year nor what we saw pre-pandemic. Official statistics bear this out, showing [...]
Mike Ashley seeks to join Mulberry’s board as he tires of firm’s poor sales May 23, 2023 Sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley is reportedly set to muscle his way onto the board of luxury brand Mulberry as he grows increasing tired of the company’s poor sales performance. Ashley’s Frasers Group owns a 37 per cent stake in Mulberry, but the brand is ultimately controlled by Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng and his wife [...]
Mulberry lifted by strong China sales as luxury handbag maker shrugs off cost of living crisis April 20, 2023 Despite a challenging macro-economic background, luxury fashion brand Mulberry has announced an “improvement” in retail revenue over the second half of the year in its trading update for the year ending 1 April 2023. The British heritage brand – known for its iconic handbags – reported that revenue was slightly ahead of last year, with [...]
Mulberry feels the chill of recession as boss calls for VAT-free shopping to boost tourist sales November 30, 2022 High-end accessories retailer Mulberry is beginning to feel the effects of the cost of living crisis and recession in the UK, with sales and revenue slipping over the past six months. Sales at its London stores on Bond St and Regent St have been hit hard by affluent tourists from the US and the Arab [...]
More than a quarter of a million people visit new Battersea Power Station in opening weekend October 19, 2022 Over a quarter of a million people visited the new Battersea Power Station last weekend, providing a much-needed boost to the new South London hotspot. Nearly forty years after the lights were switched off in one of London’s most defining landmarks and following an eight-year restoration project, visitors were able to enjoy the first of its [...]
VAT free shopping U-turn ‘major blow’ for West End as tourists shun London for Paris and Milan October 17, 2022 Scrapping VAT free shopping for tourists is a “major blow” for London and the country’s economy, a group representing luxury stores in the West End and other retail hotspots has said. Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail (AIR) – whose members range from Bicester Village to Heathrow Airport – told CityA.M. the [...]
Battersea Power Station opens doors to the public after decades since landmark closed October 14, 2022 After four decades out of action, London’s iconic Battersea Power Station is opening to the public today, as owners of the Grade II listed landmark hope to cement it as one of the capital’s top retail and leisure destinations. More than 60 shops and bars are opening today at the Art Deco development, including a [...]
Luxury retailers to push for tax cut acceleration ahead of coronation September 25, 2022 Luxury retailers in the West End are eager to elevate the shopping destination among its global rivals by appealing for tax changes to be accelerated. After the Chancellor suggested VAT-free shopping could boost the retail heartland from 2024 last week, the Association of International Retail said could be introduced in the next six months. The [...]