JD Sports beats profit forecasts as it shakes off pandemic hit April 13, 2021 JD Sports today reported full-year profits well ahead of market expectations as trading proved resilient despite the impact of store closures. The fashion retailer booked profit before tax and exceptional items of £421m in the year to the end of January. This was down from £439m the previous year but well ahead of market expectations [...]
Watchdog opens competition probe into Uber’s Autocab takeover January 29, 2021 The competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Uber’s planned takeover of taxi tech firm Autocab. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said it had launched a probe and was inviting views on how the deal could impact the private hire vehicle market in the UK. Stockport-based Autocab sells booking and dispatch software to [...]
Travel businesses urge customers to book summer holidays despite guidance February 15, 2021 A coalition of the UK’s largest travel companies has come together to give consumers the confidence to book summer holidays despite oscillating advice from ministers. The group, which commands combined revenues of over £11bn, has offered any customer who books with them a guaranteed refund or change of holiday date if the trip has to [...]
UK holidaymakers scrambling for flights home face exorbitant prices to beat quarantine deadline June 4, 2021 British tourists and holidaymakers scrambling for flights home from Portugal before new quarantine requirements come into force are being charged hundreds of pounds. People arriving in the UK from Portugal after 4am on Tuesday will need to self-isolate at home for 10 days after the Government moved it from the green list to the amber [...]
Shell’s profits surge amid soaring oil and gas prices May 5, 2022 Shell has continued its rebound from the pandemic, posting profits of $9.13bn in the first three months of the year.
Collision of Covid-19 and Brexit fuels a £700bn blow to economic output May 11, 2021 The UK economy has been forecast to suffer an over £700bn blow to output due to the collision of Covid-19 and Brexit, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned today. The bruising figure was made worse by the government’s “poor Covid-19 response”, the think tank said, adding that it has left the UK [...]
A mouthful of cashmere: The joy of Lalande-de-Pomerol wines November 10, 2021 Traditionally wines from Bordeaux have garnered a certain high level of respect, esteem, fame and the price tag that goes along with that. In broad strokes, the Bordeaux Blend, historically referred to as Claret in the UK, is made up of a combination of the star players Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot alongside, at the winemaker’s [...]
Old Mutual restores dividend despite annual loss March 23, 2021 South Africa’s Old Mutual declared a dividend of 35c per share on Tuesday after swinging to a pre-tax loss in 2020. Group profits were slashed by the pandemic, forcing the company to set aside billions of rand in provisions. Old Mutual cut final dividend by 53 per cent to 35c per share, equating to a [...]
Very Group celebrates record revenue as it eyes listing October 19, 2021 Online retailer Very Group has announced record revenue in its full year results, ahead of an anticipated £4bn float. The owner of fashion brands Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com said group revenue had swelled 13 per cent to a record £2,317.1m. Group revenue was driven by Very retail sales, which rose by almost a quarter to £1,535.6m. [...]
Former Deliveroo executives launch 10-minute grocery delivery app in London March 5, 2021 A new delivery app founded by former Deliveroo executives is launching in London today promising to deliver groceries within 10 minutes. Dija will be the latest player to join the growing food delivery space as consumers turn to online amid the pandemic. Research by Capgemini reveals 56 per cent of UK consumers expect to get [...]