UK inflation poised to slip out of the double digits to lowest level in over a year May 22, 2023 UK inflation is poised to tumble to its lowest level in over a year in what is expected to begin a steady descent from its multi-decade highs, new figures out this week are likely to reveal. The rate of price increases in April is tipped to have dropped markedly to 8.2 per cent last month, [...]
Sainsbury’s bets on style with plans for a new online fashion marketplace May 21, 2023 Sainsbury’s is reportedly planning to launch a new online marketplace for high street fashion brands in a move which will pile pressure on department stores like John Lewis. Looking to diversify its product range whilst capitalising on a strong web traffic presence – and vast distribution networks – Sainsbury’s is looking to stock a range [...]
FTSE 100 close: BT and Burberry slump to bottom of London index as easyJet regains ground May 18, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked higher this today, driven by retailers offsetting a sharp sell off in BT shares after it said it will shed 55,000 workers over the next decade. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.25 per cent to 7,742.29 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health [...]
ASOS share price recovers slightly after Mike Ashley’s Frasers raises stake May 17, 2023 Frasers Group raised its stake in online fashion retailer ASOS, a filing showed on Wednesday, as the Mike Ashley-owned sportswear retailer continues its drive into a more premium market. Frasers, formerly called Sports Direct, increased its stake in ASOS to 7.4 per cent from a prior stake of more than 5 per cent, as of [...]
Startup Spotlight: Jnck Bakery May 17, 2023 Jnck Bakery was founded by brothers Sean and Alex Brasill in 2021 as a passion project focused on the UK obesity crisis and lack of healthy food innovation. Seeing an opportunity to create something that makes a positive difference – and tasted good – they created the world’s first HFSS-compliant cookie. Now halfway through their [...]
FTSE 100 close: London ends in the red as BoE’s Bailey warns of persistently high inflation May 17, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index fell on Wednesday evening as Andrew Bailey warned that the UK would face high inflation for months to come. The capital’s premier index closed down 0.36 per cent at 7,723.23 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.30 [...]
Recession? Try a Rolex: Watches of Switzerland revenue up again May 17, 2023 Luxury watch retailer Watches of Switzerland’s revenue rose 22 per cent in the final quarter but the luxury watchmaker warned that there would be a slight sales dip in the first quarter of the next financial year. In the quarter to April, revenue rose 22 per cent to £371m on a reported basis. At constant [...]
China soft data signals economic recovery running out of steam May 16, 2023 China’s April industrial output and retail sales growth undershot forecasts, suggesting the economy lost momentum at the beginning of the second quarter and intensifying pressure on policymakers to shore up a wobbly post-Covid-19 recovery. Tuesday’s batch of data, which also showed a further decline in property investment, adds to concerns about the outlook for the [...]
FTSE 100 close: Vodafone tumbles more than seven per cent after announcing 11,000 job cuts May 16, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 gave up gains today as fresh data yielded tentative signs that the UK workforce is rebalancing and telecoms giant Vodafone tumbled quickly. The capital’s premier index fell 0.34 per cent to 7,751.07 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, was [...]
Krispy Kreme plays down impact of UK rules on unhealthy foods May 16, 2023 The boss of Krispy Kreme doughnuts has shrugged off the impact of new UK regulations on unhealthy food in supermarkets, insisting that consumers could simply be “trained” to look elsewhere in shops for their sweet treats. Major retailers have been banned from placing high fat, sugar or salt items near prominent store locations such as [...]