City centre pubs enjoy boost from returning office workers September 23, 2021 City Pub Group has reported robust half-year sales at above 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with returning workers driving sales at city sites this month. The group – which operates some 50 pubs in London and market towns – managed to break even by June, despite the period not covering sporting tournaments including Wimbledon [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Asos’ sustainability push much-needed September 22, 2021 ASOS, the online clothing retailer, recently announced a target of zero net carbon emissions by the year 2030. It’s a move that comes following ongoing criticisms of the environmental impact of “fast” fashion organisations – and one that YouGov Plan & Track data shows may be a deft commercial move as well. Nearly one in [...]
JD Wetherspoon to hike meal prices 50p ahead of VAT increase September 15, 2021 Pub giant JD Wetherspoon has said it will have to increase prices of meals by 50p later this month because of a VAT increase. Prices of meals at the pub group will go up on Wednesday September 29, ahead of VAT rising to 12.5 per cent on Friday October 1. The group will slash the [...]
Shakespeare on branding: Ronaldo re-signing looks a coup for United September 15, 2021 On Friday, 27 August, Manchester United announced that they had re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo – the five-time Ballon D’or winner who most recently plied his trade at Juventus. The club reportedly pipped cross-town rivals Manchester City to his signature. Data from YouGov BrandIndex UK shows that, in terms of Manchester United’s overall brand, it’s been a [...]
Food sector boss warns of permanent shortages in restaurants and shops September 10, 2021 Shoppers in the UK should expect permanent shortages of products now, according to a food and drink industry leader. The food and drink sector was short of around half a million workers, CEO of the Food & Drink Federation, Ian Wright, told the Institute for Government’s panel on supply chain disruption. The nation would not [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Wetherspoons beer shortages hit public perceptions September 8, 2021 Cut-price pub chain JD Wetherspoon was in the news recently following reports that supplies of Heineken, Carling, and Coors have run out in some of its locations across the UK. While some have argued that Brexit has impacted supply chains, company founder Tim Martin has attributed the issues to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever the [...]
Stop blaming Brexit for beer supply issues, says Wetherspoon’s Tim Martin September 2, 2021 Brexit is not the cause of driver shortages as pub chain Wetherspoon’s was hit by beer supply issues earlier this week, the company’s founder Tim Martin said this afternoon. The group apologised to customers on Wednesday after it said supplies of Heineken, Carling and Coors beers ran dry in some pubs. Martin, an ardent supporter [...]
JD Wetherspoon hit by supply chain disruption as beers unavailable September 1, 2021 Pub goers hoping to order a pint of Carling or Coors have been left disappointed after JD Wetherspoon confirmed shortages of some products. The pub chain did not know how many sites had been impacted by beer shortages but said it was only aware of supply issues with Carling and Coors beers. Some customers have [...]
Data watchdog warns pub goers to think before giving details to ordering apps August 18, 2021 Pub goers should be cautious when giving personal information to venues, according to the UK’s data privacy watchdog. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned Brits to consider what information they are providing when using apps to order food and drink at pubs. Pubs should only ask customers for information that is “relevant and necessary”, [...]
JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin hits out at Test and Trace app July 25, 2021 JD Wetherspoon chief Tim Martin has claimed the UK is being “laid to waste” by the Test and Trace app as one-in-eight of the pub chain’s staff are forced to self-isolate. Martin said 5,000 of his 40,000 staff were pinged by the app last week alone, causing labour shortages at some of the chain’s 925 [...]