FTSE 100 plagued by string of downbeat results November 9, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 today was weighed down by investors ditching retail and leisure firms after several large players in the sector revealed they have been hit by the UK economic slowdown. The capital’s premier index edged 0.14 per cent lower to 7,296.25 points, while the domestically-focused mid-capo FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with [...]
JD Wetherspoon sales lift as budget chain ‘one of few winners’ amid economic crunch November 9, 2022 JD Wetherspoon posted buoyant sales for the first quarter, although it said demand had softened slightly in October. Shares dropped by as much as eight per cent, after the company admitted October trading had been slightly slower than expected. Like-for-like sales were 9.6 per cent higher than the same period last year, with the pub [...]
To win over the bond market, it has to be Dishy Rishi October 23, 2022 Tim Martin is the CEO of JD Wetherspoon In selecting the next Prime Minister, MPs need to bear in mind that the terrible twins, the bond market and inflation, feeling increasingly disrespected by central bankers and politicians , are angry and emotional – and are watching their every move. The mere revelation on Friday that [...]
Last orders: Pub numbers sink amid calls for further support October 10, 2022 The number of pubs vanishing from communities in England and Wales increased by 50 per cent in the last three months, according to new data, amid warnings that more must be done to protect the great British institution. During the three months to the end of September, 150 pubs were either demolished or converted into other [...]
Tim Martin hits out at UK’s Covid policies as Wetherspoons sales linger below pre-pandemic levels October 7, 2022 JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has hit out at the UK’s Covid restrictions after warning the pub group is still suffering from the adverse effects of Covid-19. The pub company said its sales had failed to return to pre-pandemic levels as it posted losses of £30.4m for the past financial year, on the back of [...]
Tim Martin: Pubs should not subsidise supermarkets, JD Wetherspoon boss says September 12, 2022 JD Wetherspoon’s chair has called on ministers to slash VAT for pubs and make the taxes “fair and equitable” between retail and hospitality. The budget pub chain is to cut the price of food and drink in its venues by 7.5 per cent on Thursday this week, in a call for a return to the [...]
London’s FTSE 100 jumps as Liz Truss mulls cost of living support package September 6, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 jumped today driven by investors being reassured by new prime minister Liz Truss preparing to ramp up support for households and businesses this week. The capital’s premier index added 0.18 per cent to reach 7,300.44 points, while the mid-cap domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
Hospitality firms plead for energy bill support to survive ‘dire’ situation worse than pandemic August 16, 2022 A host of hospitality and small business bodies yesterday warned that many pubs, restaurants and hotels will not survive the “onslaught” of higher energy costs in the coming months. Representative bodies including UK Hospitality warned politicians that unlike domestic customers, rates are not capped for small businesses. Last week analysts at forecaster Cornwall Insight suggested [...]
Explainer-in-brief: A long journey of pain for pubs July 19, 2022 It’s a tricky time for pubs – again. Amidst rising energy costs and staff shortages, pubs are struggling to keep their doors open. Fifteen per cent of independent pubs surveyed by the British Institute of Innkeeping said their business is no longer viable. Just days ago the giant JD Wetherspoon warned that higher labour costs [...]
JD Wetherspoon beer sales lag pre-Covid levels as recovery ‘more laborious than anticipated’ July 13, 2022 JD Wetherspoon has said sales of pints were eight per cent below pre-pandemic trading and it expects to post higher losses this year. While a “boom in pub sales” had been anticipated following the easing lockdown measures, recovery for many venues had been “slower and more laborious than was anticipated,” the budget pub chain said. [...]