Absolut vodka maker Pernod Ricard cashes in on hospitality return October 20, 2022 Spirits giant Pernod Ricard posted fizzing sales for the first quarter after the return of international holidays has spurred spending in pubs and bars. Sales grew 22 per cent, as the Absolut vodka maker raked in €3.3bn in revenue, surpassing its forecasts. Tourists spending cash at bars and restaurants had boosted trade in Europe, following [...]
Exclusive: West End bounces back with rush for fresh office space October 20, 2022 The West End has come roaring back to life after firms committed 1.2m sq ft of office space in the third quarter. A race for space is also heating up, with the post-pandemic renaissance of the capital’s shopping heartland seeing prime rents for offices soar 6.5 per cent in the past year, data from Knight [...]
Naked Wines admits ‘mistakes’ as retailer sets out shake up October 20, 2022 Naked Wines has announced a shake up of the business in a bid to cut costs,including 30 redundancies. The wine retailer, which enjoyed booming sales in the pandemic, said it had “made mistakes” while pursuing “rapid growth.” Low consumer confidence and high levels of supply chain inflation had resulted in an underwhelming performance for the [...]
Dunelm sales slip as pent up demand eases against ‘demanding backdrop’ October 20, 2022 Dunelm posted dented sales after last year saw a flurry of pent up demand post-lockdown. In first quarter results, the homeware retailer said its sales were down eight per cent compared to the same period last year. Bosses said the performance came despite “a challenging environment”, posting sales of £357m. A dip in sales had [...]
Spam sales up nearly 40 per cent at Waitrose as price hikes bite October 20, 2022 BRITAIN’S DISCOUNT retailers are set for a winter windfall – with even Waitrose shoppers turning to spam and fish heads as the cost of living crisis bites. The sales of both have risen more than a third at the high-end supermarket over the past year, the firm confirmed overnight. Analysts reckon budget grocers like Aldi [...]
Asos new CEO vows to rebuild ‘inefficient’ model as fashion seller posts £32m loss October 19, 2022 The new CEO of Asos has said he will refresh the fashion marketplace’s commercial model after the online retailer swung to a loss. In results for the year to 31 August 2022, Asos said gross margins had been impacted by a supply chain “inefficient in the face of supply chain disruption and macroeconomic challenges”. After [...]
Just Eat Takeaway returns to profit despite warning of ‘challenging’ consumer backdrop October 19, 2022 Just Eat Takeaway has returned to profitability earlier than expected, although the food delivery platform warned of a “challenging” consumer backdrop in the months to come. The London-based firm said it processed 235m orders in the third quarter of 2022, an 11 per cent dip on the year previously, with bosses pointing to the end [...]
Next 15 clears regulatory hurdles in M&C Saatchi takeover October 18, 2022 NEXT 15 cleared its final regulatory hurdle this morning as the London media firm hopes to finalise a deal to takeover M&C Saatchi after months of turbulence. The media firm said it had received confirmation from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), paving the way for a successful takeover. It follows [...]
High street firms face ‘battle’ to recruit staff after labour pool shrinks October 18, 2022 High street businesses are facing a “battle” to recruit staff against the backdrop of a shrinking workforce, with many workers having left the country or unable to work due to sickness. Industry chiefs lamented the vacancy crisis facing businesses ranging from retailers to restaurants to care homes at a committee meeting of the economic affairs [...]
THG share price lifts after SoftBank sells stake to boss Moulding and Qatar October 18, 2022 Beleaguered retailer THG saw its share price leap after SoftBank is to sell its stake to the group’s co-founder Matthew Moulding and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. THG’s shares were boosted 13 per cent on Tuesday afternoon, after the loss-stricken Japanese investment management firm said it would offload its stake. SoftBank’s stake was once valued at [...]