Boohoo sales and profits surge after fast fashion retailer ups loungewear and activewear offering during pandemic May 5, 2021 Fast fashion retailer Boohoo reported a spike in sales and profit last year after refocusing its product offering on loungewear and activewear during the coronavirus pandemic. The e-commerce giant announced this morning that revenue surged 41 per cent in the year ended 28 February 2021, with sales jumping from £1.23bn to £1.75bn. Profit before tax [...]
Royal Mail reports busiest Christmas on record as parcel revenue soars February 11, 2021 More than 496 million parcels were delivered by Royal Mail during the third quarter, the busiest period in its history. The postal service distributed 11.7 million parcels during its toughest 24 hours, 32 per cent more than the busiest day throughout the first national lockdown. Covid-19 restrictions prompted a surge in demand, leading to Royal [...]
Profit and revenue turn flat at Irn Bru owner AG Barr following rollercoaster year March 30, 2021 AG Barr saw profits and revenue fell in 2020 relative to the previous year, following a volatile and unpredictable year. Revenue at the firm, which owns brands Irn Bru and Rubicon, stood at £227m for its 2021 financial year, down 11 per cent from 2020, where revenue stood at £255.7m. The firm’s profit before [...]
Aston Martin careers to £320m loss as car sales fall a third February 25, 2021 Iconic sports car brand Aston Martin fell to a £322m operating loss in 2020, the firm said this morning, as coronavirus restrictions saw car sales fall a third. In line with this fall, total retail sales slipped 32 per cent, from 6,150 last year to 4,150 this year. Despite the fall in sales, however, shares [...]
Topshop set for discount sale price after Next pulls out of race, analysts say January 22, 2021 The bidders circling Sir Philip Green’s collapsed retail empire Arcadia could bag a good deal to buy Topshop, after Next – a frontrunner to rescue the firm’s “crown jewel” – pulled out of the race. Restructuring experts said Next’s exit from the sales process will put the other bidders in a stronger position, making it [...]
Corporate insolvencies boost puts Begbies Traynor on track to meet expectations March 5, 2019 Corporate insolvencies rose by ten per cent in 2018, consultancy firm Begbies Traynor said in a trading update this morning, as it reported it was on track to meet full-year expectations. The restructuring firm announced it had seen a “good flow” of insolvency appointments in the three months to the end of January this year, [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher expects £175m profit boost due to Covid-19 support and cost savings November 19, 2020 B&Q owner Kingfisher expects to report an extra £175m profit for the year due to temporary cost savings, including government Covid-19 support measures. The London-listed DIY firm said today that sales soared 17.6 per cent to £3.5bn in the third quarter due to a surge in people beginning home improvement projects during the pandemic. Kingfisher [...]
Pub and restaurant giants circle struggling firms and property in post-pandemic expansion push February 17, 2021 Pub and restaurant giants and private equity firms are circling smaller chains and vacant properties, looking to snap up expansion opportunities at a discounted price during the Covid pandemic and reap the rewards when the industry bounces back. Merger and acquisition activity in the hospitality industry has already begun. Figures from restructuring firm Resolve showed [...]
Coppa Club owner Various Eateries circles struggling competitors September 10, 2020 Various Eateries, the owner of restaurant chains Strada and Coppa Club, is planning to raise £25m through an AIM listing as it seeks to buy competitors that have fallen victim to the coronavirus crisis. The firm, which was founded by Hugh Osmond, who led the rapid expansion of Pizza Express, is aiming to expand by [...]
Number of UK firms in ‘significant financial distress’ hits record high January 27, 2020 The number of UK businesses in significant financial distress has risen to almost 500,000, hitting the highest level since records began 16 years ago. The latest research showed that the number of firms facing significant difficulties has soared 81 per cent since 2016, reaching 494,000 in the fourth quarter of last year. Recently formed companies [...]