FTSE reshuffle: British Land booted off premier index while Ocado dodges demotion June 1, 2023 Online grocer Ocado has dodged relegation from London’s FTSE 100 while property firm British Land lost its coveted spot among the blue-chip stocks. Fashion retailer Asos also faced demotion from the FTSE 250 ranks, according to the annual review by data firm FTSE Russell. Ocado was expected to drop off the UK’s top index after [...]
HSBC launches £15bn SME fund amid cost of living crisis with £3bn available in London June 1, 2023 HSBC has launched a £15bn fund dedicated to financing the survival and expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country. The £15bn fund, which equals the largest SME fund HSBC has launched, is available to businesses across the country, with £3bn put aside for SMEs in London. Across sectors, £2bn will be allocated [...]
Over a third of Londoners now travelling into the office more frequently as strikes fail to deter commuters May 31, 2023 Rail strikes have failed to stop Londoners heading into the office this year, new data shows. Almost two in five Londoners (38 per cent) are commuting more frequently than they were at the start of the year, according to new data from Virgin Media’s O2 Business Mover Index, covering January to March. Wednesday was the [...]
Rail union boss ‘not seen anyone from government’ since January as fresh strikes bring UK to a halt May 31, 2023 Rail union Aslef’s general secretary has said he “hasn’t seen anyone from government” since 6 January, as workers start a wave of strikes, bringing trains to a halt across the country. “They are not interested, they don’t care, they are not interested in a resolution to this dispute,” he told Kay Burley’s Sky News Breakfast [...]
It has to be Heinz? Not in this economy, till reports suggest May 31, 2023 Shoppers are continuing to switch to supermarket ketchup, milk and cereal own-brands to cut down on spending amidst the cost of living crisis. Volume sales in store branded products surged 63.3 per cent in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) category during May, figures by consumer intelligence company NIQ show. Food prices have surged since [...]
Slowing UK economy appears good news for discount retailer B&M May 31, 2023 Brits seeking out bargains has helped drive B&M customer numbers up every month since June, as the group plans to roll out 30 more stores across the UK to up keep demand. For the year, the budget chain, which sells homewares and food, gained revenues of £4.9bn up from £4.6bn, as the group improved its [...]
The cost of living crisis has an unlikely winner: the book industry May 31, 2023 Publishing group Bloomsbury raked in record sales last year as Brits buried their heads in books and "cut back on more expensive forms of diversion" through the cost of living squeeze, the firm revealed today.
Politicians don’t understand housing and asylum seekers will pay the price May 31, 2023 The government wants to temporarily scrap HMO licensing for asylum seekers' accommodation. It risks creating a set of dangerous sub-standard homes unfit for the future, writes Elena Siniscalco
Brits put recession fears aside to bowl strikes at ten-pin operator May 30, 2023 Hollywood Bowl reported record revenues of £110.2m in its half year results this morning, up 20.7 per cent on 2022 amid strong sales, and said it would continue to eye expanding its UK estate and leisure centres. However, the bowling operator reported a drop in its pre-tax profits to £26.7m for the six months to [...]
Are gone-off goods the answer to the cost of living crisis? May 30, 2023 An online grocery store which sells goods that would otherwise be sent to landfill is growing in popularity in the UK, as cash-strapped Brits search for new ways to save money amid the cost of living crisis. “I think there’s a lot of focus on price at the moment… and we can cater for something [...]