Cotswold Outdoor racks up a decade of losses April 29, 2025 The firm behind Cotswold Outdoor has failed to make a pre-tax profit for a decade but the retailer did significantly cut its losses in 2024, it has been confirmed. The Wiltshire-headquartered retailer has posted a pre-tax loss of £380,000 for its latest financial year, down from the £7.3m it reported for 2023. The last time [...]
Employment Rights Bill will ‘cut retail staff numbers’ April 29, 2025 Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will lead to job cuts and price hikes, a poll of 31 major retailers has found, in the latest sign the government’s legislative agenda risks harming economic growth. The legislation, which is nearing its final stages in Parliament, introduces sweeping changes to zero-hours contracts, sick pay, leave, flexible working and dismissal, [...]
Food inflation rises to its highest level in almost a year April 29, 2025 Food inflation has risen to its highest level in almost a year as cost pressures begin to weigh on prices. Food inflation increased to 2.6 per cent year on year in April, against growth of 2.4 per cent in March and above the three-month average of 2.4 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium [...]
Independent Football Regulator costs could hike ticket prices, MP says April 28, 2025 Shadow sport minister Stuart Andrew has insisted the Independent Football Regulator’s reported £47.3m club compliance cost could push ticket prices up for fans. It came as the Conservatives, who introduced the original Football Governance Bill before the 2024 General Election, opposed the proposed legislation at the second reading stage on Monday in the House of [...]
EY: Two years of slow UK growth means ‘increased chances’ of tax rises April 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves may have to resort to reversing Labour manifesto tax pledges as UK growth fails to exceed one per cent for two years running, EY ITEM Club have said, in the latest blow to the chancellor’s fiscal plans The Chancellor has been warned by several forecasters that President Trump’s tariffs will hammer the UK [...]
Green shoots for jobs market as both vacancies and wages rise April 28, 2025 Job vacancies have grown for a second straight month in a positive sign for the UK economy, although retail has continued to struggle. Vacancies grew year-on-year for the first time since July 2022, up 1.03 per cent to 871,168, according to Adzuna. Average salaries similarly continued climbing to £41,962 in March 2025, a 1.12 per [...]
Ka Ying rises to Champions Day challenge April 27, 2025 HONG Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, has hailed 2025 FWD Champions Day as one of the best editions of the flagship meeting in a “very long period of time” after Ka Ying Rising, Red Lion and Japan’s Tastiera took Group One honours at Sha Tin on Sunday (27 April). Ka Ying [...]
Legends J-Mac and Williams have Super chances at Sha Tin April 25, 2025 WORLD-CLASS Australian jockey Craig Williams is the man to follow on the supporting card at Sha Tin when he climbs aboard highly progressive INVINCIBLE SHIELD in the FWD Insurance Bocom Handicap (7.15am), over seven furlongs. Williams and former champion trainer Francis Lui have already tasted success at the top table in Hong Kong this season, [...]
Manufacturers accelerate job cuts as firms brace for ‘gloomy’ year April 24, 2025 Manufacturers are shedding staff at the fastest pace in more than four years, according to new data, as they wrestle with soaring energy bills and Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes bite. The downturn in manufacturing output slightly eased in the quarter to April, a survey of hundreds of firms by the Confederation of British Industry [...]
RELX: FTSE 100 group’s AI tools lead strong start to 2025 April 24, 2025 RELX has kicked off 2025 with strong momentum, reaffirming its full year guidance for growth in revenue, profit, and earnings per share. The FTSE 100 group cited the rapid adoption of its generative AI-driven legal platforms, which are accelerating performance in one of the firm’s core divisions. The global analytics and decision tools provider reported [...]