The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on tech stocks, strikes and cheap cars February 6, 2023 Falling out of love with Big Tech US technology giants have been reporting their latest financial earnings in recent weeks with a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Until the turn of 2021/22, Big Tech was a firm favourite among investors, scoring impressive share price gains in the years building up to [...]
Shell caps off bumper trading year with record £32.2bn profits February 2, 2023 Shell capped off a highly lucrative year of trading with bumper fourth quarter earnings of £7.9bn - with full year profits of £32.2bn.
Christmas sales were a moment of reprieve as high streets play whac-a-mole February 2, 2023 Even the biggest retailers were severely dented by the pandemic, strikes, inflation and rising energy costs. It might be a game of whac-a-mole, but the high street is ready for another year, writes Richard Curry.
Food inflation soars to highest level on record February 1, 2023 Food inflation has reached its highest level on record, with the sector predicting no stall in price increases throughout the year. Figures published in the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) shop price index show food inflation rose to 13.8 per cent in January, up from 13.3 per cent in December. This rise has pushed it above [...]
Ofgem boss warns over declining appeal of UK’s energy sector for suppliers January 31, 2023 Shell's potential exit from the energy retail market raises questions over the industry's attractiveness for businesses, warned Ofgem.
Cost of living crisis: Grocery inflation up two per cent in just one month with shoppers forking out £800 more a year January 31, 2023 Grocery price inflation has hit a record 16.7 per cent to add a potential £788 to annual shopping bills, figures have shown. The “staggering” 2.3 percentage point jump in the four weeks to January 22 has exceeded the previous high recorded by analysts Kantar in October and is the highest figure since their records began [...]
Hospitality braces for £100m in lost sales ahead of biggest day of strikes in over a decade January 30, 2023 Retail and hospitality figures have described strike action set to take place on Wednesday as “damaging” to the sector and “entirely avoidable”. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality told City A.M. she estimates union strikes this week will set the sector back a further £100m in lost sales, with “much of that impact being felt [...]
Caffe Nero shrugs off inflation as Brits’ coffee habits drive sales of £150m January 30, 2023 Caffe Nero generated UK sales of £150m for the first half of the financial year, averaging 104 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and an increase of 17 per cent for the same period in 2021. The coffee chain added Deliveroo and Just Eat to its delivery partner service last year, which it said helped secure [...]
Lidl to invest £4bn in British food businesses in a move it claims will provide its suppliers with ‘security’ and ‘certainty’ January 30, 2023 Lidl has revealed plans to invest £4bn into British food businesses this year, as it charges ahead with growth plans. Lidl GB, the British arm of the German retail group, said it would accelerate the spending plans it announced in 2019. Lidl GB had committed to a £15bn investment in the British food industry between [...]
Ikea UK pays out £90m dividend to parent as instore sales soar January 29, 2023 Ikea reportedly paid out a £90m dividend from its UK business to its parent last year – the first in six years – as the Swedish furniture giant continues to rake in bumper profits. The dividend, reported by The Sunday Times, reflected the £62.4m profit made in 2021, a year interrupted by a series of [...]