Greene King warns that Brexit could hurt pub industry after strong summer September 9, 2016 The Euro 2016 football championship and sunny summer weather helped pub group Greene King enjoy a "strong start to the year", but the company said it is preparing for tougher trading conditions as a result of the recent Brexit vote. Shares in the company were down 3.8 per cent in early trading. The firm reported 1.7 [...]
High street sales struggled for the seventh month in a row in August September 9, 2016 High street retailers haven't managed to increase sales since the beginning of the year, according to data released today. Sales fell by 1.5 per cent year-on-year in August, which is the seventh month in a row of no growth for the sector, according to accountants BDO. Consumer confidence has bounced back somewhat since its immediate trough [...]
It’s time Chicken Licken Remainers admitted the sky hasn’t fallen in post-Brexit September 8, 2016 Before the referendum, the Remain camp did not hold back from listing the catastrophic consequences of Brexit. The banks and financial services sector would abandon London overnight, they said. Vital funding would be lost for farming, science and regeneration schemes. The British economy would immediately stall, then spiral into a crash. Eleven weeks on from [...]
Why we’re backing Britain’s resilient and optimistic small businesses September 8, 2016 In the run up to June’s referendum vote, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) became a focal point for both Leave and Remain camps, with each side claiming the support of small business owners for their different visions of Britain’s future. This focus on SMEs was unsurprising – these businesses are the nuts and bolts of British [...]
Poundland shareholders overwhelmingly give Steinhoff green light for takeover September 7, 2016 Steinhoff International's long-running takeover attempt of Poundland was given the green light today by the discount chain's shareholders, who overwhelmingly backed the deal. At a general meeting at Poundland's head office in Willenhall in the West Midlands, 98.4 per cent of investors approved the South African retail giant's revised offer, which it hiked last month from [...]
Joules’ countryside style strikes a chord with shoppers as profits soar September 7, 2016 Profits soared at premium, country-style retailer Joules last year, topping off a "transformational" period for the clothing and accessories group which launched on the AIM in May. The figures Profit before tax shot up by 41.5 per cent to £7.5m in the 52 weeks to 29 May, up from £5.3m in 2015, while basic earnings per share ballooned by [...]
GDP estimates show UK economy still growing after Brexit vote September 7, 2016 The UK economy is still on track to avoid a contraction in the crucial third quarter of the year, analysts at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) have argued. The think tank's closely watched GDP estimates suggest the UK grew by 0.3 per cent in the three months to August. This marks a slowdown [...]
My Inspiration: Architect Richard Found on his love of painter Barry Reigate September 6, 2016 Award-winning architect Richard Found talks about his unlikely love affair with the chaos and colour in the paintings of Barry Reigate This painting is by an artist called Barry Reigate, whose work could be described as a cross between Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. A lot of his material is black and white but this one [...]
All that glitters: Anglo American’s diamond business De Beers reports higher sales on pre-Christmas demand September 6, 2016 Anglo American said today sales at De Beers, its diamond unit, rose as manufacturers snapped up the precious gems ahead of the holiday season. The world's largest diamond producer by value reported rough diamond sales generated $630m (£472.65m) in its seventh offering this year, up from $528m in the previous round. Read more: How this digital-focused jewellery retailer is shaking [...]
Halfords’ share price rises as Olympics “cycling heroes” pump up sales in bike arm and group revenue increases September 6, 2016 Halfords' share price was pumped up this morning by a healthy rise in group revenues and news that the Olympics has helped the group offset slower cycling growth from previous quarters. The figures Halfords' group revenue rose 4.8 per cent in the 20 weeks to 19 August, with retail revenue rising 4.8 per cent and its [...]