Waterstones: Return to the office helps profit almost quadruple January 21, 2025 The return of employees to offices in major UK city centres helped profit almost quadruple at Waterstones during its latest financial year. The bookseller cited the trend of the return to work as a key factor in its pre-tax profit surging from £11.2m to £42.9m in the 12 months to 27 April, 2024. In newly-filed [...]
Kurt Geiger: Record holiday trading as US expansion pays off January 15, 2025 Growth at Kurt Geiger outpaced expectations last year driven by American demand for the luxury footwear and accessories brand. Despite general gloom in the retail sector, December 2024 was the most profitable month in the brand’s history, with its 17 per cent growth credited to a 54 per cent rise in handbag sales and its [...]
Eden Project losses nearly double despite visitors spike January 3, 2025 A spike in visitor numbers failed to stop Cornwall tourist attraction Eden Project falling deeper into the red during its latest financial year. The site welcomed more than 604,000 visitors in the year to 31 March, 2024, up from the over 551,000 who went there in the prior 12 months. As a result, Eden Project’s [...]
Grab the popcorn: Retail’s five most dramatic stories this year December 27, 2024 From Boohoo’s boardroom dramas to The Body Shop’s salvation in the nick of time, 2024 has been a big year in retail. City AM counts down its top five retail dramas this year (spoiler alert: Mike Ashley is at the centre of two of them). Asda tumbles down the supermarket charts Asda has faced a [...]
Titanic Belfast targets international tourism as profit surges December 16, 2024 Titanic Belfast has targeted international tourists to continue its recent remarkable growth after its turnover and profit both surged during its latest financial year. The Northern Ireland museum is to focus on attracting visitors from Europe and long-haul destinations after noticing a shift in consumer patterns following the Covid-19 pandemic. The change comes after Titanic [...]
Could Elon Musk and Nigel Farage upend British politics? December 5, 2024 Labour’s majority is enormous, but it only gives us the appearance of stability. All the evidence suggests their support is broad but shallow and their victory was as much a question of good luck and good timing as it was a literal vote of support for Labour’s policies. The Tory party is basically neck and [...]
The Notebook: Looking east for opportunity December 4, 2024 Wall Street has been on a euphoric march upwards, as investors have taken a distinctly glass half-full attitude to Trump’s upcoming presidency. The focus has been on his promised tax cuts and de-regulation drive, while they’ve largely shrugged off the potential ramifications of his punishing tariff plans for the US and the global economy. There [...]
Bond Street moves into third for world’s most expensive retail spot November 20, 2024 Bond Street has leaped-frogged Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong to take bronze in a list of the world’s most exclusive retail streets. The shift bucks bucks fears about the decline of brick-and-mortar retail on the high-street and the so-called tourist tax, which has faced campaigners’ calls for scrappage. The average rent on Bond Street [...]
London Big Bus Tours operator slashes loss as sales accelerate November 5, 2024 The group that operates London Big Bus Tours cut its pre-tax loss by more than $50m (£38.5m) during its latest financial year. Big Bus Tours Group has posted a pre-tax loss of $31m for the 12 months to 30 April, 2024, having made a loss of $82.4m in its prior year. Newly-filed accounts with Companies [...]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, announcing £40bn of tax rises, Central London Alliance comments November 1, 2024 Given the straitened public finances it is understandable to leave no stone unturned when looking to balance the books, and we welcome the much-needed investment in the public services. But business owners, the ones creating jobs, are paying this bill. The likely outcome; job losses. Business owners are the lifeblood of the economy, driving growth [...]