Ryanair’s airport booze ban is a bootleggers and baptists problem January 14, 2025 Ryanair has reiterated calls for a two-drink limit in airport bars. Like the prohibition-era bootleggers who lobbied for Sunday closing laws, they’re just trying to increase their own sales, says Christopher Snowdon The budget airline Ryanair has called for a two-drink limit in airport bars to create “a safer travel experience for passengers and crews”. [...]
Rising wages hit British strawberry growers January 13, 2025 The British berry growing industry has warned its future is under threat despite its value rising to £2bn for the first time. According to industry body British Berry Growers, rising energy costs and wage increases will continue to create ‘challenging circumstances’ for fruit farmers in 2025. The latest warning comes after the British Berry Growers [...]
FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader gears up for £87m HQ move January 13, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader has confirmed plans to relocate its headquarters from a building named after a Manchester legend to a new base worth £87m. The company is to leave its home at 1 Tony Wilson Place in First Street and move to Bruntwood SciTech’s 3 Circle Square in 2026. Auto Trader has been [...]
Brent Hoberman: Fear of ‘media onslaught’ puts business people off joining government January 11, 2025 Serial entrepreneur Brent Hoberman and the investment minister Poppy Gustaffson have warned that business people are put off taking on government positions due to fear of a “media onslaught”. Writing on LinkedIn, Hoberman, the founder of Lastminute.com and failed furniture retailer Made.com, criticised coverage of business people entering government and claimed the media constantly “insinuates [...]
Ex-Aston Martin CEO: Scrap hybrids, go all in on EV cars January 11, 2025 Our reliance on hybrid is holding us back from real progress. It's time to go all in on EV cars, writes ex-Aston Martin CEO and 'godfather of EVs' Andy Palmer.
FTSE 250 closes down four per cent in worst week since 2023 January 10, 2025 The FTSE 250 fell almost four per cent this week, experiencing its worst week since August 2023 as fears mount over the stability of the UK economy. With pound sterling sinking and UK gilt yields rising to decade-long highs, investors have begun to panic that the UK economy and government are coming under pressure. “The [...]
Boots warns of higher Budget costs amid sales surge January 10, 2025 High street pharmacy giant Boots has warned it faces “heightened cost pressures” in 2025 following the Autumn Budget as it revealed strong sales towards the end of last year. The new boss of the Nottingham-headquartered company, Anthony Hemmerdinger, added that while Boots has come under increased pressure, “the business is focused on navigating these and [...]
M&S: City broker slashes share price target on lower profit prospects January 10, 2025 Berenberg has downgraded its share price target for Marks and Spencer following lower estimates of long-term growth for the high street darling. The broker downgraded its price target from 410p to 384p, a cut of six per cent, due to a decrease in its profit estimate. “The potential for upside surprise now looks more limited [...]
Pound endures week of misery amid gilt sell-off January 10, 2025 The pound came in as the worst-performing G10 currency for a second day running yesterday, as the gilt market continues to trade at decade-long highs. After spiking as high as $1.255 on Tuesday, the pound has since fallen to $1.229, its lowest point since October 2023. “What makes the current situation particularly noteworthy is that [...]
Share price down after Sainsbury’s reported bumper Christmas January 10, 2025 Sainsbury's claims to have won the grocery market share for the fifth consecutive Christmas, with sales up nearly four per cent