Supermarket chain Iceland takes a hit as insurers freeze out suppliers October 20, 2019 Suppliers to supermarket chain Iceland are said to have had their insurance cover cut amid concerns about the impact of Brexit on the company’s supply chain. Paris-based insurer Euler Hermes reduced the credit cover it provides to Iceland’s suppliers over the summer, while rival Atradius is also mulling a possible cut, the Sunday Times reported. [...]
Ofwat orders water companies to cut bills by £50 December 16, 2019 Water firms must slash the average bill by £50 by 2025, regulator Ofwat insisted today as it set out plans to improve the utility providers’ performance. The demand forms part of a massive £51bn investment strategy for water companies under Ofwat, including a goal to cut the amount of water lost to leaks by 16 [...]
Leicester Square’s Hippodrome Casino reports falling profits July 15, 2019 Leicester Square’s Hippodrome Casino saw profits halve last year as political and economic uncertainty dented gamblers’ confidence. Revenue slumped from £77.8m to £76.5m and operating profit dropped from £5.5m to £2.1m last year, according to the casino operator’s latest financial filings. Read more: El Dorado snaps up Caesars in major casino purchase Hippodrome, which is [...]
Labour government would cause sterling to plunge 10 per cent: report August 8, 2019 A Labour government would cause an “immediate” 10 per cent drop in sterling, or more if it followed a no-deal Brexit, a report has today warned. Amid growing reports that an autumn general election could be on the cards, Oxford Economics claims a Labour government would cause significant damage to the UK’s economy. It argues [...]
UK construction activity suffers ‘devastating’ drop as Brexit kills demand October 2, 2019 UK construction activity fell at the second-fastest rate since the financial crisis in September, a closely-followed survey of the industry showed today. Read more: Job losses mount as Brexit fears hit UK manufacturing A historically steep drop in new orders led to firms trimming employment at their fastest pace since the end of 2010, according [...]
Wealthy UK cities showing resilience to retail downturn October 28, 2019 A group of wealthy cities such as London and Cambridge are faring relatively well during the UK retail sector’s downturn while shops in poorer and more rural areas suffer, a new report has said. Read more: Retailers brace for tough Christmas as confidence slumps Shopping parks have also shown resilience as the bricks-and-mortar retail sector [...]
French growth revised upwards in ray of hope for Eurozone August 29, 2019 France’s economy grew faster than initially estimated in the second quarter in a piece of good news for the struggling Eurozone, official statistics have shown. Read more: German consumers surprisingly upbeat as country slides towards recession French GDP grew by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2019, up from an initial estimate of [...]
Competition watchdog to examine £500m Ovo Energy-SSE deal October 24, 2019 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today it was looking into whether Ovo Energy’s £500m acquisition of energy supplier SSE’s retail arm will harm competition. SSE’s retail energy business supplies around 3.5m households in the UK. The watchdog said it was inviting comments on the transaction from interested parties until 6 November. Alistair Phillips-Davies, [...]
Consumer confidence remains steady amid Brexit carry-on, survey shows April 30, 2019 Britons were more positive about the future economic situation in April than they were in March, but are putting off major purchases amid financial and political uncertainty, a new study has today shown. Read more: CBI: UK retailers enjoy rising sales for the first time in five months Meanwhile, fewer people in the UK were positive [...]
UK marketing budgets stall as political uncertainty hits brands July 17, 2019 UK marketing budgets flatlined in the second quarter, as growing uncertainty reversed a surprise ad spend boost at the start of the year. Figures released by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) revealed marketing budget growth stalled in the three months to the end of June, with businesses adopting a more cautious approach to [...]