Emma Bridgewater: Jobs cut as UK’s ‘queen of pottery’ sinks further into the red January 31, 2025 The pottery brand founded by eponymous designer Emma Bridgewater cut jobs as it sank further into the red during its latest financial year. The business, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent and backed by BGF, has posted a pre-tax loss of £4.4m for the 12 months to 27 April, 2024. The loss comes after the company also [...]
John Lewis misses festive sales target as turnaround falters January 31, 2025 Sales at John Lewis are reported to have fallen short over the key Christmas trading period as middle-class Brits increasingly switch to shops like Marks and Spencer. According to reports from the Daily Telegraph, sales at Waitrose similarly missed targets. The employee-owned John Lewis Partnership (JLP) blamed “lower consumer confidence and weaker than expected market confidence” for [...]
Five graphs the Bank of England will assess before interest rate decision January 30, 2025 The Bank of England's first interest rate decision of 2025 will take place next week, and investors widely expect rate-setters to reduce borrowing costs for a third time.
Mulberry: Luxury brand looks to turnaround ‘sub-optimal’ performance January 30, 2025 British luxury plan Mulberry has unveiled a turnaround plan aimed at rescuing the retailer from a period of decline. This comes after its share price has fallen 17 per cent in the last month and more than 30 per cent in the last year. Revenue for the last quarter of the year fell 18.3 per [...]
Mark Kleinman: Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? January 30, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week, he tackles pay rows at Barclays, how WH Smith is clinging on and a floating debate for Monzo Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? There was a time when Barclays and public [...]
Tesco to cut 400 jobs as it moves to ‘more efficient’ working January 29, 2025 Tesco has announced plans to cut more than 400 jobs in a bid to improve efficiency at the grocer, following in the footsteps of Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons. The supermarket giant said that the “more competitive than ever” market means it must “work hard… to offer our customers unrivalled value”. “This means always being open [...]
Crew Clothing plans to open at least 20 stores in 2025 January 29, 2025 Crew Clothing has revealed plans to open at least 20 stores across the UK this year. The fashion retailer announced its intention to expand further after the brand added 15 new locations over the course of 2024. That flurry of openings included a new store in Paddington, a move which marked the company’s return to [...]
Naked Wines: Losses shrink but wine seller still has a way to go January 29, 2025 Naked Wines has begun to stem its losses after a tough few years for the wine merchant, although the firm’s sales continues to shrink. The company told the London Stock Exchange this morning that its revenue fell by 10.2 per cent year on year in the 13 weeks ended 30 December, or 8.9 per cent [...]
WH Smith: Travel drives growth ahead of possible high street exit January 29, 2025 Revenue at WH Smith rose four per cent in the first half of the financial year, driven by growth in its travel stores as it prepares to exit the high street. Total travel revenue rose six per cent like for like in the 21 weeks to January 25, while high street revenue dipped three per [...]
London’s top spot for super-prime property crowned January 29, 2025 Belgravia has taken the crown as London’s most-sought-after super prime neighbourhood, home to more than a tenth of sales in the capital last year and overtaking Chelsea for the first time since 2020. The area was even home to London’s first super prime deal of 2025, a £38m mansion on Wilton Crescent. “Belgravia has benefited from [...]