Rail strikes: Hospitality says it has lost £3bn as it becomes ‘collateral damage’ in rail dispute March 16, 2023 London retail and hospitality bodies have said that the sector is “suffering” due to ongoing tube strikes as the disruptions continue to take a large bite out of the sector’s earnings. As Tube and rail strikes grind London to a halt this week, trade body UKHospitality has claimed that pub and restaurant businesses are expected [...]
London’s West End gets welcome boost with return of foreign tourists May 23, 2024 An influx of foreign tourists over the past 12 months has delivered a boost for the West End's biggest landlord, Shaftesbury Capital, as it reveals its first financial results since its £3.5 bn takeover last year.
Lloyds Pharmacy puts all 1,300 sites under threat of closure in another blow for post-Covid UK high street March 3, 2023 Lloyds Pharmacy has put all of its 1,300 sites at risk of closure in another major blow for the highstreet. According to reports in The Sun, the private equity owner of the embattled chemist has launched a “strategic review of its entire UK store base”. It’s understood that process could lead to a sale of [...]
London losing out due to ‘tourist tax’ as US and Gulf visitors opt for Paris and Milan instead August 14, 2023 London is losing out on wealthy foreign visitors splashing their cash in Oxford Street due to the so-called ‘tourist tax’, amid renewed calls to scrap it and make the capital more competitive. The removal of VAT free shopping for international tourists continues to hurt London retailers, with visitors from the US and the Gulf cutting [...]
CMA: Amazon and Meta agree to retail competition improvements November 3, 2023 As part of the new commitments, Amazon has agreed to give independent sellers a fair chance of their offers being featured in the site’s “Buy Box”, where most sales on the platform take place.
New Footasylum CEO named as former boss takes role with The Body Shop owner March 4, 2024 The CEO and executive chairman of Footasylum is to step down and take on a role with Aurelius, the German private equity firm that owns the brand and The Body Shop.
AO World raises guidance again as it returns to profit despite falling revenues November 21, 2023 Electrical retailer AO World has raised its profit guidance despite revealing a fall in revenue, according to a trading update published this morning. The online group, which calls Frasers Group its largest shareholder, said a decision to stamp out unprofitable sales led to a 12 per cent dip in revenue during the interim. But adjusted [...]
Saudi Arabia reportedly eyes up £2bn stake in Selfridges, Gucci owner denies interest March 22, 2024 Saudi Arabia is reportedly eyeing up a £2bn stake in Selfridges as the department store chain's co-owner faces insolvency, while luxury goods giant Kering has denied the claim that it is interested in the store.
Cotton Traders defies high street downturn with new stores as owner nears $1.6bn float July 18, 2024 Cotton Traders has opened a slew of new stores as the former catalogue business continues to weather the challenging environment faced by high street retailers, according to newly-filed documents.
Cineworld in talks to axe a quarter of UK sites two years after debt crisis July 16, 2024 Cineworld first ran into trouble in 2022, when a share price collapse in light of a debt crisis led it to de-list from the London Stock Exchange.