Brits swap pub for nights in as inflation deals heavy blow to finances October 11, 2022 Brits are responding to the cost of living crunch by ditching the pub for nights in to save money, a survey published today revealed. Consumer spending grew at the slowest rate since February 2021 over the last month, jumping 1.8 per cent over the year to September, Barclaycard said. Inflation has hovered around a 40-year [...]
The City is bouncing back: Itsu sees sales surge past pre-Covid levels amid office return October 10, 2022 Asian-inspired restaurant chain Itsu has declared London is “back in business” after the capital has endured a protracted footfall recovery from Covid lockdowns. Itsu’s City sites have seen sales steadily grow throughout the year, with its third quarter shooting beyond pre-Covid levels, the brand said on Monday. “Increasing numbers” of customers are being served midweek, [...]
Getir in takeover talks with rival Gorillas October 10, 2022 Rapid delivery giant Getir is reportedly in advanced talks to take over rival Gorillas. According to a report in Bloomberg, sources familiar with the matter said a proposed deal would be a mix of cash and equity. They said no final decisions had been made and the talks may not ultimately result in a sale. [...]
Morrisons one step closer to watchdog green light for McColl’s takeover October 10, 2022 The competition watchdog has said it is minded to accept proposals from Morrisons that would alleviate any concerns over higher prices for consumers amid its takeover of McColl’s. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had raised competition concerns regarding a small number of areas amid the supermarket’s £190m takeover of the beleaguered convenience store chain. [...]
Hollywood Bowl eyes expansion to more than 110 centres in UK and Canada October 10, 2022 Hollywood Bowl has said it sees “a significant opportunity” to roll out its leisure business to more than 110 centres across the UK and Canada. In a trading update on Monday, the bowling alley operator said it was eyeing expansion opportunities across its three experiential brands, Hollywood Bowl and Puttstars in the UK and Splitsville [...]
Last orders: Pub numbers sink amid calls for further support October 10, 2022 The number of pubs vanishing from communities in England and Wales increased by 50 per cent in the last three months, according to new data, amid warnings that more must be done to protect the great British institution. During the three months to the end of September, 150 pubs were either demolished or converted into other [...]
Quiz reaps rewards of return of party season October 10, 2022 Quiz has continued to back its come-back story as the fashion chain posts higher sales after shoppers have rushed to stock up their party wardrobes after the pandemic. In a trading update for April to September, the once struggling retailer posted total revenues of £49.4m, 37.2 per cent higher than the year before. Demand for [...]
Joules: CVA one of ‘potential options’ as retailer steams ahead with turnaround plan October 10, 2022 Joules has acknowledged a CVA is one of a number of “potential options” it may opt for as it seeks to turn around the fortunes of the beleaguered lifestyle retailer. Sky News had reported that the struggling firm had been working with Interpath Advisory to discuss using a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), with job losses [...]
Netflix banks £1.4bn from British subscribers as eyes turn to titan’s next results October 9, 2022 Netflix raked in almost £1.4bn last year from its British subscribers, in the first tranche of publicly issued figures for the country. The US streaming titan said it amassed £1.38bn in revenue for the year ending 31 December 2021, in annual accounts filed in London at the end of last week. After previously including UK [...]
£1.5bn Liverpool Street station upgrade sparks conservationists’ concerns October 6, 2022 A £1.5bn proposed upgrade of Liverpool Street station has sparked concern among conservationists. Shard Quarter developer Sellar, alongside Network Rail and Elizabeth line operator RMT, unveiled the plans today. The mixed use blueprint includes plans for up to 10 floors of office space, as well as six floors taken up by the Andaz hotel. Developers [...]