Retail sales drop as Brits return to venues while cost of living crunch looms March 25, 2022 Retail sales volumes fell 0.3 per cent last month as Brits made the most of Covid restrictions abating. Stormy weather also deterred shoppers from making trips to the high street, with Storm Eunice and Storm Dudley causing travel haovc across the country last month. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shoppers bought less [...]
Cost of living squeeze already biting UK economy as experts warn worst is still to come March 24, 2022 The damage the cost of living squeeze is inflicting on UK households is already starting to weigh on the economy as top forecasters warn the worst effects of spiralling living standards are yet to come. A fresh flurry of data released today revealed consumers are slashing spending to alleviate pressure on their finances caused by [...]
Next anticipates £10m hit to profit after suspending online sales to Ukraine and Russia March 24, 2022 Fashion retailer Next has lowered its profit guidance by £10m after it stopped online sales in Ukraine and Russia. The high street name also shrunk its sales guidance for the 2022/2023 year by £85m, a two per cent dip. In results published on Thursday, it anticipated its full price sales would rise five per cent [...]
Letters: Ocado can stay strong March 23, 2022 [Re: Shoppers spend less at Ocado after offices reopen and Covid measures ease, March 17] Many of the headlines writing off Ocado this week missed the big picture. Far too little attention was paid to a crucial statistic: Ocado’s retail sales in this quarter were 31.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Shoppers may be shopping online [...]
Lockdown DIYers push B&Q owner Kingfisher past £1bn profit March 22, 2022 Kingfisher’s sales shot up last year as the B&Q owner became the third UK retailer to exceed £1bn profit. The home improvement behemoth joined retail titans Tesco and Marks & Spencer when it revealed its profits had reached record levels on Tuesday. Lockdown DIYers sent sales past £13bn for the year to 31 January, thanks [...]
Push the boat out on your Irish celebrations with a £1,000 whiskey March 17, 2022 This weekend is the perfect excuse to indulge in some Irish whiskey. But if you’re feeling particularly indulgent, you should get your hands on a bottle of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s new rare release, The Taoscán. The Taoscán is the first whiskey finished in a combination of tawny port and French chestnut barrels. Bottled [...]
Shoppers spend less at Ocado after offices reopen and Covid measures ease March 17, 2022 Ocado customers are spending less through the online grocery delivery service as pandemic habits return to normal. In an eight week trading update, Ocado said its average basket size came in at £124, 15 per cent lower than last year. This was reflective of changing shopper behaviours as customers return to physical supermarkets and offices. [...]
Hong Kong developer swoops in with £96m steal for Vauxhall Square site March 16, 2022 Vauxhall Square in London has been sold by a Chinese developer for £96m, which is a reported discounted price of 42 per cent. A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based company the Far East Consortium International (FEC) swooped in for the 14m square-foot site, buying it off rival firm, Guangzhou-based R&F Properties, on the cheap. It was [...]
Zara owner Inditex warns of challenges ahead after shutting Russian shops March 16, 2022 Zara owner Inditex has reported sales surpassing pre-Covid levels but warned of looming challenges after severing ties with Russia. The world’s largest fashion retailer said Russia was a major market, after it shut its 503 shops and suspended online sales in the country amid its war in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine accounted for five per [...]
Soft drink giant Fever Tree highlights short term cost ‘uncertainty’ amid war in Ukraine March 16, 2022 Beverage maker Fever Tree has said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused “significant uncertainty” for short term costs. Tim Warrillow, co-founder and CEO of Fever-Tree, said the war in Ukraine had “resulted in significant uncertainty in relation to our input costs in the short term.” UK revenue leaped 15 per cent in full year results [...]