Waitrose to ramp up convenience store expansion with 100 new sites August 21, 2024 The premium grocer Waitrose will expand its store portfolio by around a third over the next three years in one of its “biggest periods of expansion” as it ramps up investment into ‘Little Waitrose’ convenience shops. The Berkshire-headquartered company will invest over £1bn in a project to open 100 new stores and revamp a further [...]
Deliveroo: Delivery group posts profit, launches buyback amid ‘encouraging’ signs in consumer behaviour August 8, 2024 Deliveroo posted a profit of £1m in the first half of 2024, rebounding from a loss of £83m in the same period last year. Shares rose over six per cent on Friday morning as gross transaction value (GTV) came in just under £3.7bn, up five per cent year on year from £3.5bn. The food delivery [...]
Post-Christmas footfall plummets as UK shoppers avoid high street January 4, 2021 Footfall across Britain’s high streets plunged almost a quarter last week as Boxing Day sales failed to lure shoppers from their sofas, according to the latest data. The number of Brits hitting the shops fell more than 23 per cent in the seven days after Christmas compared with the week before, latest Springboard figures showed. [...]
FTSE 100 close: Stress over US debt ceiling talks drag London index as IMF ditches UK recession forecast May 23, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 nipped lower today as investors zeroed in on the latest developments in talks between Republicans and Democrats about raising the debt ceiling. The capital’s premier index slipped 0.1 per cent to 7,762.96 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped [...]
‘The last thing commuters need’: London business groups slam rail fare hike August 16, 2023 London business groups have slammed a significant government hike in rail ticket fares set to hit commuters next March. The Department for Transport (DfT) has committed to ensuring any fare increase falls below the nine per cent rise in the Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation measure, announced by the ONS on Wednesday morning. Regulated rail [...]
Pendragon: Car dealership to sell UK motor business to US firm Lithia for £250m September 18, 2023 Car dealership group Pendragon has agreed to a proposed sale of its UK motor business to US dealer giant Lithia Motors for £250 million. The deal, if approved by shareholders, will be valued at about 27.4p per share, against the 18.6p Pendragon shares were trading at on Friday. Investors will receive a 16.5p cash dividend [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown extends takeover deadline for third time August 5, 2024 Hargreaves Lansdown has for the third time extended the deadline for a group of private equity bidders to make a firm £5.4bn takeover offer during a crucial week for the UK’s biggest retail investment platform.
‘This is nonsense’: M&S hits back at shareholder group over digital AGM concerns July 2, 2024 Marks & Spencer has hit back at a top shareholder group today after it claimed the company was restricting the voice of investors by holding a “digital first” annual meeting for a second year running.
UK high street faces shareholder backlash over low pay July 2, 2024 UK high street shops like Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and JD Sports are facing a shareholder backlash after failing to commit to pay all their staff and third-party contractors a real living wage. Big financial names backing a campaign against low pay include LGIM, HSBC Asset Management, Aviva, and Scottish Widows. In total, the institutions [...]
The Body Shop: What next for high street icon as tycoon eyes rescue deal? July 11, 2024 The future of collapsed high street icon The Body Shop could be decided in the next two weeks as it emerged that British tycoon Mike Jatania was in exclusive talks to rescue the brand.