GameStop shares jump a third on ‘meme stock’ rally March 25, 2021 Shares in video-game retailer GameStop rose a third today as the firm recouped the losses it made earlier this week. The firm is one of several so-called “meme stocks” popular with Reddit retail investors that have made rapid gains today. Headphone maker Koss and cinema chain AMC have also seen big gains as the wallstreetbets [...]
Grocery delivery app Getir bags $7.5bn valuation as it gears up for expansion June 4, 2021 Getir, an app that promises grocery deliveries in 10 minutes, has secured a $7.5bn (£5.3bn) valuation as it gears up to launch across Europe and in the US. The Turkish tech firm raised more than $550m in a series D funding round backed by existing investors such as Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital. It has [...]
Fuller’s seeks to shore up cash as Covid burns up to £5m each month March 31, 2021 Fuller, Smith & Turner said on Wednesday it received a conditional extension to its debt maturities from its lenders. The extension comes after the British pub operator warned that its sales would plunge by around 80 per cent for the full year to March 2021. The company also said it was raising money from the [...]
Cadbury-owner Mondelez to buy UK protein bar brand Grenade for £200m March 22, 2021 Mondelez, the US owner of Cadbury, is preparing to announce a £200m deal to buy British protein bar brand Grenade. It has secured a deal with Grenade’s majority shareholder to buy the sports nutrition firm, Sky News reported. The deal – which would be Mondelez’s most significant UK takeover since it acquired Cadbury in 2009 [...]
Iceland to launch new convenience store format Swift this week March 15, 2021 Iceland is preparing to unveil a new convenience store format, with the first branch set to open this week. The frozen food retailer will launch the Swift store concept in Newcastle on Thursday, according to reports. The store will be in a converted Iceland branch and will sell “the full spectrum of grocery” with a [...]
Wendy’s plots UK launch in 12,000-job burger boost May 9, 2021 American fast food chain Wendy’s is plotting a return to the UK in a move that will create more than 12,000 jobs. The burger chain is opening its first store in Reading next month and is eyeing as many as 400 sites. The company, which will compete with Burger King and McDonalds, pulled out of [...]
Amazon to dethrone both Tesco and Sainsbury as UK’s largest retailers within four years June 3, 2021 Amazon is to overtake Tesco as the UK’s largest retailer within the next four years, with sales expected to hit more than £77bn by 2025, according to new research, shared exclusively with City A.M. this morning. Last year, Amazon UK’s total sales were £36.3bn while Tesco’s sales were almost double at £64bn. However, by 2025, [...]
After an explosion of apps and billion dollar valuations, is the ultra-fast bubble about to burst? April 1, 2022 Any Londoner on a stroll down a main road in the city is bound to encounter a handful of instant grocery delivery riders zipping past. With Getir, Gorillas and Gopuff among other players on the scene, the category has exploded over the past couple of years with some receiving billion-dollar valuations. The pandemic saw many [...]
Direct Line profit slumps as major costs hit home insurance division March 8, 2021 Direct Line saw profit drop in 2020 as weather-related costs in its home insurance line offset a strong performance in its motor business. The firm said operating profit fell 4.5 per cent to £522m, while pre-tax profit plummeted 11.4 per cent to £451m. Weather costs increased to £43m from £6m in 2019, while gross written [...]
Provident Financial reveals watchdog probe of home credit division March 15, 2021 Doorstep lender Provident Financial has today revealed that it is being investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) over its home credit business. The probe will focus on “consideration of affordability and sustainability of lending to customers” at the division between February 2020 and February 2021. Provident said that it was aware of the need [...]