Leeds landmark sold for almost £80m in city’s biggest deal for over five years October 8, 2024 A landmark building in the heart of Leeds’ financial district has been sold for almost £80m in the city’s largest office deal for more than five years. Ashtrom Properties UK has acquired Central Square, which is home to the likes of M&S, PwC an Sky, for £78m. Central Square comprises 217,249 sq ft of office [...]
The ‘battle for value is on’ at UK grocers as supermarkets push discounts October 8, 2024 Higher spending at supermarkets over the last month has been driven by sales of discounted goods as grocers compete to bring financially-stretched customers through their doors, according to fresh data. Grocery price inflation increased slightly to two per cent during the four weeks to 29 September, up from 1.7 per cent last month, according to [...]
Oasis tickets and discounts ensure September spending doesn’t slide away October 8, 2024 Retail sales in the UK have held up despite a dip in confidence, driven by widespread discounts and a spike in entertainment spending after Oasis‘ tickets went on sale. Consumer card spending increased 1.2 per cent year on year in September, after returning to growth in August, according to data from Barclays. Discounting pushed spending [...]
Vauxhall sheds hundreds of jobs as sales accelerate by over £300m October 7, 2024 Vauxhall shed hundreds of jobs in 2023 as its sales accelerated by more than £300m, it has been revealed. The Stellantis-owned brand has reported a turnover of £2.63bn for its latest financial year, up from the £2.29bn it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its pre-tax profit also increased from [...]
Sweet Dreams for bed retailer as sales near milestone October 7, 2024 Sales at bed retailer Dreams increased towards a new milestone as its profit remained steady during its latest financial year. The Buckinghamshire-headquartered chain has reported a turnover of £395.4m for 2023, up from the £387m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its pre-tax profit dipped slightly from £50m to £49.3m [...]
Seedlip revolutionised alcohol free drinking. Now its founder has a new product: We tried it first October 6, 2024 Ben Branson birthed the alcohol free spirits scene when he launched Seedlip nearly ten years ago. Five years after selling his majority share, he’s ready to change the face of drinking. Again. He talks to Adam Bloodworth Through the launch of Seedlip, Ben Branson established a reputation as the founding father of the alcohol free [...]
Online retailer Shein to hold roadshows soon ahead of London IPO October 4, 2024 Shein is set to hold informal investor meetings in the coming weeks for its planned London initial public offering (IPO), three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, pushing ahead with preparations as it awaits UK regulatory approval. The China-founded online retailer plans to hold informal roadshows mainly across Europe, one of the sources [...]
Supporting Saudi Vision October 4, 2024 A new strategic alliance between Invescore and Zucchetti promises to bring transformative solutions to the Saudi market. It is a perfect match, one which combines broad international expertise with deep roots in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Zucchetti, the renowned global provider of integrated technology solutions and consulting services, has forged a strategic alliance with [...]
Tim Martin warns against pub crackdown as JD Wetherspoon smashes profit expectations October 4, 2024 Profit at JD Wetherspoon over the last year exceeded even the high expectations from the market, bringing in £73.9m of pre-tax profit, compared to expectations of £72m. The chain of pubs reported it had made more than £2bn in sales over the year to the end of July, an eight per cent increase from last [...]
Luxury retail might be struggling globally, but it’s thriving in London October 4, 2024 It’s somewhat surprisingly that luxury retail in London is doing so well, particularly given eye-catching figures about a wider downturn in the luxury market, the effect of the tourist tax, and the potential exodus of high-net-worth non doms from the capital. But while these “handicaps” – particularly the tourist tax – have hampered demand somewhat, [...]