Merlin builds on global growth with launch of Dubai Legoland October 17, 2016 Theme park operator Merlin Entertainments is set to open a Legoland park in Dubai at the end of the month. The park will include a Lego model of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Standing at 17 metres tall – compared with the real thing’s 830 meters – the Burj Khalifa model took more than [...]
Pepsi set to suck the sugar out of its drinks October 17, 2016 One of the world’s biggest soft drink producers Pepsi has set itself targets to reduce the amount of sugar in its drinks. The move is part of plans to try and tackle a range of issues, from obesity to climate change. By 2025 Pepsi wants more than 60 per cent of its drinks to have [...]
Brewing up a storm: Sales in craft beer at Tesco soar 130 per cent in a year October 17, 2016 It’s a trend that took off in the UK in the dingy East End of London by bearded men in plaid shirts. But now craft beer has become so popular in pubs across the country that demand at Tesco stores has jumped by 130 per cent in the last year alone. The supermarket started off with [...]
BoyleSports is taking its concerns over the Ladbrokes and Gala Coral sale to the CMA October 17, 2016 BoyleSports isn't very happy with the announcement that Ladbrokes and Gala Coral are selling 359 betting shops to Betfred and Stan James. In fact, it plans to take its concerns to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and review its options on what the next steps are, after its bid for the shops was unsuccessful. Read [...]
The fashion industry is on its steepest decline for seven years October 17, 2016 The fashion market is on its steepest decline for seven years, according to new data, with £700m wiped off the value of the UK market since last year. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, sales declined for the fourth month in a row in September as retailers continued to offer huge discounts to consumers. Kantar [...]
Ladbrokes and Gala Coral sell 359 shops as deal nears completion October 17, 2016 Ladbrokes and Gala Coral are selling 359 betting shops between them, in order to satisfy conditions set by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ahead of their merger. The CMA ordered the bookmakers to sell up shops earlier this year, in order to maintain competition in the market when the two groups combine, in a [...]
Alcohol contributes up to four times more to global calorie consumption than soft drinks October 17, 2016 Alcoholic drinks contributed up to four times more than soft drinks to global calorie consumption last year, according to research released today by Euromonitor International. Energy obtained from alcohol in 24 countries including as the UK, Japan and Germany exceeded that consumed via soft drinks, in a trend driven by consumers increasingly shunning sugar and watching [...]
Craft and artisan beer craze lifts the number of new beer trademarks registered to record high October 17, 2016 The soaring popularity of artisan drinks pushed the number of new registered beer trademarks to hit a record high last year, according to City law firm RPC. The number of new beer brands registered in the UK jumped 12 per cent from 1,485 to 1,666 in 2015, an RPC analysis of figures from the government’s Intellectual [...]
Footfall drops but shoppers keep spending October 17, 2016 Spending on the high street rose last month despite a decline in footfall, the latest data has shown. Retail spending grew in September by 1.3 per cent, while at the same time both footfall and shop prices have dropped year-on-year, according to figures released today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and retail analysts Springboard. Total [...]
Sir Philip Green hires top lawyer to scrutinise MPs’ inquiry into the collapse of BHS October 16, 2016 Sir Philip Green has hired top barrister Lord Pannick to scrutinise the MPs' inquiry into the collapse of BHS, according to reports. The Sunday Times has said Green wants the top lawyer to write a report on the joint select committee investigation into the sale of BHS that branded him the "unacceptable face of capitalism". MPs [...]