British icon in the red after Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes costs jobs Retail John Smedley, the historic family-owned luxury knitwear brand, has been forced to raise prices and make redundancies as it battles Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes as it fell into the red. The Derbyshire-headquartered business can trace its roots back to 1784 and is currently run by the eighth generation of the Smedley family. Executive chairman [...]
UK firms pin hopes on US trade growth despite tariffs UK exporters to the US believe their sales will grow more than firms selling goods and services to other markets, a new survey has found, boosting hopes that trade will rebound after the initial shock of tariffs. Research by YouGov has suggested that 45 per cent of companies selling products to the US are hopeful [...]
Champagne Lanson sales fail to fizz as prices rise Retail Champagne Lanson suffered a sharp drop in its UK sales in 2024 as drinkers turned their backs on bars and restaurants amid the cost-of-living crisis. New accounts filed with Companies House show the brand’s turnover was slashed from £45.2m to £35.5m last year while its pre-tax profit also fell from £1.7m to £819,000. The champagne [...]
Jaguar Land Rover: Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten US growth April 7, 2025 The scale of the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs facing Jaguar Land Rover has been revealed as the luxury car maker outlined how many vehicles it exported to the US in the first three months of 2025. The Coventry-headquartered automotive giant saw wholesale volumes in its fourth quarter rise by 14.4 per cent in North [...]
Are you an SME looking to export? Here’s what you need to know March 14, 2025 As Paul Lindley is appointed advisor to the newly announced Board of Trade, he explains why there’s never been a better tome for SMEs to start exporting The UK’s trading landscape has been transformed in recent years, with Brexit reshaping relationships with the EU, new trade agreements emerging and a notable rise in global economic [...]
Mountain Equipment hit by export sales cut as profit more than halves July 11, 2024 Profit at Mountain Equipment more than halved following a strong few years of growth as the brand saw a sharp decline in exports, according to newly-filed documents.
Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery and Andy Murray-backed Castore named among fastest-growing British businesses June 28, 2024 Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery and sportswear brand Castore, which is backed by Sir Andy Murray and the billionaire Issa brothers, have been named among the fastest-growing companies in Britain.
Sour year for VK and Hooch maker as price rises fail to offset costs jump June 5, 2024 The maker of alcoholic drinks such as VK and Hooch saw its profit slashed as its costs surged despite the group raising prices.
Tea brand Twinings brews profit to nearly £100m June 3, 2024 British tea brand Twinings brewed up a profit of almost £100m during its latest financial year, it has been revealed.
‘Major milestone’: UK ratifies Indo-Pacific CPTPP post-Brexit trade deal ahead of schedule May 17, 2024 The UK has hit a “major milestone” in its efforts to join the CPTPP trade pact as it ratified the terms of agreement ahead of schedule.