Nightmare before Christmas: Half of shoppers to fork out less for gifts October 24, 2022 Half of shoppers are intending on spending less on Christmas this year as plunging consumer confidence sparks further concern for businesses. One in three of those shoppers said they would slash present budgets for close friends and family by over £25 per person, according to data from market insights firm Kantar. Brits are facing sky-high [...]
Luton’s busiest Christmas not enough as passenger levels lag behind pre-Covid glory January 12, 2023 Luton’s busiest Christmas day on record was not enough to return the airport to its former glory, with passenger numbers still significantly lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. The Bedfordshire hub said that 1.1m passengers passed through its gates in December, 87.9 per cent up on last year’s levels. Luton also reported its busiest Christmas day ever, [...]
Let’s be honest, MPs should be allowed to expense Christmas parties for staff December 1, 2022 It has been a gruelling year for politicians. From partygate to the cost of living crisis, toxicity about Members of Parliament is on its way up. A YouGov poll earlier this month found that over two-thirds of Brits believe that politicians are “merely out for themselves”. This is an increase of 9 percentage points in [...]
Retail sales fall off cliff in November in sign of Christmas spending slump November 28, 2022 Retail sales have fallen off a cliff, pushed by consumers reining in spending as scorching inflation eats away at their finances, a new survey out today reveals. A net 19 per cent of retailers said spending fell over the year to November, down from a net rise of 18 per cent in October, according to [...]
Odeon sees Christmas boom as Avatar 2 lures Brits back to the big screen January 5, 2023 Odeon, the UK’s largest cinema chain, welcomed over a million viewers during Christmas thanks to the much anticipated Avatar sequel. Cinemas in the UK have started 2023 on a high note after two rough years, according to new numbers released by Odeon. The return of viewers to the big screen was credited to the release [...]
Mining and retail stocks push FTSE 100 into the green after Christmas shopping boost December 29, 2022 The FTSE 100 has been given a boost by its top retail stocks as investors cashed in on the post-Christmas sales shopping, and as China is set to ease its Covid restrictions for inbound travellers from January 8. Among the top performers on London’s leading index on Wednesday were JD Sports Fashion, Next, Kingfisher and [...]
Demand for corporate Christmas parties through the roof as offices ‘make up’ for Covid November 16, 2022 Work Christmas do’s are back with a bang this year, as City bar and pub chains report strong bookings. Publicans are excited about the industry’s first full Christmas trading season in three years, void of Covid-9 restrictions. Although consumers are caught in the teeth of what’s set to be a protracted recession, Young’s boss, Simon [...]
The Christmas Day Quiz: City A.M. tests out your grey matter December 24, 2022 It’s the Christmas Quiz you’ve been waiting for! Each year City A.M. publishes Deloitte’s economics team’s festive brainteasers, produced as part of their regular Monday briefing. Grab a pen – the answers are at the bottom, and come packed with plenty of extra details… 1. The nineteenth century Scottish historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle dubbed [...]
Virgin Wines: Share price falls and major review announced after Christmas ‘challenges’ drink into profits March 14, 2023 Virgin Wines‘ share price tumbled this morning as the online wine bank reveals it is undertaking a full review after a shift in consumer confidence which knocked profits in the first quarter. Shares in the online wine retailer slumped 1.50 per cent when the market opened this morning as the group revealed its profits before [...]
Stansted readies for busiest Christmas in three years with 1.2m passengers expected December 20, 2022 Stansted airport is getting ready for its busiest Christmas in three years with 1.2 million passengers expected to pass through its gates during the festive period. Airport figures published today show that around 650,000 people will depart from the north London airport between 16 December and 3 January, with 550,000 expected arrivals. According to forecasts, [...]