UK economy in ‘early stages of recovery’ as families shrug off inflation and interest rate hikes April 21, 2023 Britain’s economy could be in the early stages of a recovery, with consumers holding up pretty well under the pressure of high inflation and interest rate increases, a closely watched survey out today indicates. Families’ outlook on how well the economy will perform over the coming year is improving, while confidence in their own personal [...]
Are men embarrassed to eat Coronation quiche? April 20, 2023 As the King’s Coronation looms, and with it, it’s signature quiche, Adam Bloodworth admits he’s one of many men embarrassed to order the eggy flan Who eats quiche? The egg based tart has a dry image, seen these days as the preserve of grandparents, academics, and people who can’t be bothered to make lunch. It’s [...]
FCA will ‘keep its eyes’ on banks’ Q1 results for evidence of savings rate profiteering April 20, 2023 Savers are facing a rising “loyalty penalty” from high street banks, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned. Customers banking with the UK’s big name lenders are likely to earn less competitive interest rates on their savings over time, while new savers are given more attractive offers, the City watchdog told MPs today. “Harm” from [...]
Flat packing in the USA: Ikea invests £1.7bn in stateside arm April 20, 2023 Ikea will invest €2bn (£1.7bn) into the US market, its biggest investment into a single market to date, as the home furnishings giant looks to capitalise on the current economic climate. The flat pack retailer said it plans to open eight new sites in the US alongside nine planning studios and order points, The Financial [...]
Mulberry lifted by strong China sales as luxury handbag maker shrugs off cost of living crisis April 20, 2023 Despite a challenging macro-economic background, luxury fashion brand Mulberry has announced an “improvement” in retail revenue over the second half of the year in its trading update for the year ending 1 April 2023. The British heritage brand – known for its iconic handbags – reported that revenue was slightly ahead of last year, with [...]
WH Smith: Resurgent global travel boosts airport giant’s profits – and it’s committed to the high street too April 20, 2023 WH Smith has benefited significantly from the return of global air travel with a big boost in profit on last year. The popular high street newsagent reported £45m in pre-tax profits, up from £18m last year, as millions came through airports where Smiths has many outlets. In the six months to February 2023, it announced [...]
Can Amazon Prime, Netflix and the streamers survive the UK’s recession fears? April 20, 2023 The number of British households signed up to streaming platforms has slumped so far this year, as more cash-strapped viewers trim their subscriptions to cut costs. The number of homes subscribed to at least one video streaming platform fell to 16.1 million between January and March this year, down from 16.91 million during the same [...]
Deliveroo: Nine per cent dip in orders as Brits lay off takeaways in hard times – but revenues propped up by ads April 20, 2023 Deliveroo reported a disappointing nine per cent drop in takeaway orders but it was not enough to dampen a spike in its revenue for the first leg of the year. Tthe average number of customers visiting the app fell to 7.1 million from 7.6 million in the same period last year, as high inflation and [...]
Dunelm: Savvy shoppers cash in on later winter sales as online purchasing booms April 20, 2023 Dunelm shoppers looking to bag a bargain were boosted by a delayed winter sale, with online purchases seeing another post-pandemic bump. The London-listed retailer reported sales of £432m up from £399m in the same period compared to last year. Dunelm attributed the moving of its Winter sale into the third quarter – compared to the [...]
Interview: Ovo Energy’s boss bets on green future to cement Big Six status April 20, 2023 Ovo Energy’s CEO Raman Bhatia talks about the sector’s latest challenges, from driving renewable energy to rethinking forced prepayment meters.