Two people in critical condition after violence escalates in Hong Kong November 11, 2019 Two people are in critical condition following another day of violent protests in Hong Kong. A protester was shot by a police officer on Monday morning, becoming the third person to be shot by the authorities since demonstrations began 24 weeks ago. Read more: Hong Kong falls into recession amid ongoing unrest The second person [...]
Takeaway.com admits its own offer for Just Eat is not ‘particularly appealing’ November 11, 2019 Takeaway.com boss Jitse Groen has admitted his firm’s offer for Just Eat is not “particularly appealing” for shareholders, as a takeover battle for the food delivery platform intensifies. Takeaway and Just Eat agreed the terms of an offer for the business in August, however, South Africa’s Prosus launched a rival £4.9m bid. Read more: Takeway.com [...]
On a roll: Greggs upgrades profit forecast again as sales increase November 11, 2019 Greggs has upgraded its profit expectations for the year after the bakery chain reported boosted sales for its latest period. Total sales were up 12.4 per cent in the six weeks to 9 November while like-for-like sales in company-managed shops increased 8.3 per cent. Read more: Greggs is cooking up vegan versions of popular products [...]
Christmas adverts 2019: Watch retailers from Argos to M&S and Amazon launch their festive ad campaigns November 8, 2019 We might only be a week into November but some of UK’s biggest retailers have already launched their 2019 Christmas advert campaigns, as firms race to make the most of the crucial festive trading period after a challenging year for the high street. In what has become a festive tradition, retailers have pulled out all [...]
Mamas & Papas to shutter stores in pre-pack administration deal November 8, 2019 Maternity retailer Mamas & Papas has called in administrators in order to shutter loss-making stores just days after the collapse of rival firm Mothercare. Bluegem Capital, the owner of Mamas & Papas since 2014, has regained control through a pre-pack administration – an insolvency procedure – which has allowed the retailer to close six unprofitable [...]
Easyjet buys Thomas Cook slots at Gatwick and Bristol for £36m November 8, 2019 Budget airline Easyjet has bought the take-off and landing slots of collapsed travel company Thomas Cook at London Gatwick and Bristol airports for £36m. The company announced today it has bought 12 summer slot pairs and eight winter slot pairs at Gatwick and six summer slot pairs and one winter slot pair at Bristol, in [...]
British Airways owner IAG cuts growth forecast November 8, 2019 British Airways’ owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) cut its growth forecast for the next few years due to an expected slump in passenger capacity growth. The company said average earnings per share growth would be 10 per cent in the three years from 2020 to 2022, compared to a previous estimate of 12 per [...]
Royal Mail seeks injunction to block Christmas strike November 8, 2019 The Royal Mail is seeking an injunction to prevent staff going on strike during the crucial Christmas trading period and the general election next month. The postal service has taken legal action against the Communications Workers Union (CWU), claiming there were “potential irregularities” in a recent ballot for industrial action. Read more: Royal Mail to [...]
General election announcement hurts October high street sales November 8, 2019 High street sales plummeted at the end of October despite a healthy start to the month after the announcement that the UK would head to the polls for a December general election. The first three weeks of the month saw retailers defy poor footfall and challenging weather conditions to boost like-for-like in-store sales. Read more: [...]
Asian stocks mixed on US and China trade war confusion November 8, 2019 Asian stocks were mixed this morning on uncertainty over whether the US and China are close to sealing a deal to call a truce in their trade war. The news that the world’s two largest economies had agreed to roll back tariffs on each others goods caused global markets to rally overnight. Read more: FTSE [...]