Primark owner claims fast fashion still a draw as cost of living crisis boosts sales April 25, 2023 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has reported a slight dip in its adjusted operating profit as the retail and grocery giant felt the pain of soaring inflation and a tough economic climate. For the 24 weeks to 4 March, the group’s adjusted operating profit came in three per cent lower at £684m, compared to [...]
Britain’s renters are the real victims of this inflation and interest rate crunch April 25, 2023 People doubtless would’ve gasped at headlines last week about UK interest rates being on course for five per cent. Such a path looked implausible in March when Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and Credit Suisse’s shotgun marriage to UBS sparked fears of a financial market meltdown. After those events, traders trimmed their expectations of how much more [...]
Nearly every UK business struggling to fill roles amid worker exodus April 25, 2023 Nearly every business in the UK is struggling to hire staff in a sign that the country’s slimmer workforce since the pandemic is pegging back growth, a new survey out last night indicated. Some 80 per cent of 5,000 firms surveyed by the lobby group the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said they ran into [...]
Victoria Scholar: Credit Suisse’s next move, luxury wins and a guilt-free sirloin steak April 25, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things! Today it’s Victoria Scholar, the head of investment at Interactive Investor. Here’s what she has to say: Credit Suisse released its final set of earnings for the period ahead of the CHF 3 billion takeover from UBS in March. The Swiss bank suffered a CHF 67 [...]
Explainer: Why are landlords fleeing the London market? April 24, 2023 We all know these are not great times for the housing market: rents are extortionately high, especially in the capital, mortgage rates are a constant headache, and many see their dream of buying their first property slip away as the cost-of-living crisis eats away at their savings. Against this gloomy backdrop, buy-to-let investors in London [...]
Prezzo shuts 46 branches including four in London as 810 jobs put at risk April 24, 2023 Prezzo will shut 46 loss making sites across the UK including three in London and place 810 workers at risk of redundancy, as soaring energy and a hike in food costs rattle the business. The Italian restaurant chain, which is owned by private equity firm Cain International said that the closures will impact sites where [...]
Millions of low income households are overpaying for their broadband, says Ofcom April 24, 2023 More than half of low-income homes who qualify for cheaper broadband tariffs are missing out on the deals, according to the UK communications regulator. Only 220,000 households were on a social tariffs as of February 2023, meanwhile 53 per cent of people receiving benefit payments were completely unaware of cheaper deals, Ofcom revealed in a [...]
Would You Become A Salary Nomad For More Money? April 24, 2023 Coronavirus changed many things for many people, and the way that we work was perhaps the most impacted. And the digital nomad, an employment trend that had previously been slightly scornfully reserved for a type of gig economy worker, became a legitimate alternative to the traditional 9-5. While the term has been in use since [...]
Week Ahead: Aldi and Lidl tightening the screw on Sainsbury’s as retailers fight to retain price-wary customers April 23, 2023 The supermarket giant is set to report a fall in annual pre-tax profits this week, posting up to £690 million, down from £730 million last year. According to the latest Kantar survey, Sainsbury’s reported a strong 12-week sales growth of 12 per cent at the end of March, but fell short of rivals Aldi and [...]
Oxford Street on cusp of something really ‘special’, New West End chief says April 23, 2023 Oxford Street is on the cusp of something “really special” and “exciting”, the chief of the New West End company has said, as store development and a boost in international tourism signals a return to better times for London’s most iconic shopping district. Dee Corsi, who oversees operations for the retail strip which spans from [...]