Royal Mail prepares for holiday rush with 16,000 hires October 3, 2023 Royal Mail is ramping up its Christmas operations, enlisting the help of 16,000 temporary workers to ensure the busiest time of the year runs smoothly for the British postal service. The temporary employees will help 110,000 posties sort and deliver packages ahead of and throughout the holiday season, including over the annual Black Friday and [...]
Aurelius: Lloyds Pharmacy owner joins race for The Body Shop October 3, 2023 The owner of Lloyds Pharmacy, Aurelius, is understood to have joined the race to buy ethical cosmetics brand The Body Shop, as it looks to change hands again for the third time in five years. The investment company has joined Epiris, the private equity firm, and Elliott Advisors, the owner of Waterstones in the bidding [...]
Boohoo warns of further sales falls as tough buyer market takes its toll October 3, 2023 Fast fashion giant Boohoo’s said its revenues fell by 17 per cent in the six months to August to £729m, and warned of further sales falls in the year ahead. The online shopping brand, which has been undergoing a turnaround plan, said that in the year ending February revenues could slip by between 12 to [...]
Tortilla weathers strikes and inflation as expansion drives 22 per cent revenue spike October 3, 2023 Tortilla Mexican Grill revenues jumped 22 per cent year-on-year to £32.7m as the fast-casual group continued to expand its sites across the UK. The popular Mexican chain reported a slight dip in pre-tax earnings amid headwinds from inflation and rail strike action and swung to a £600,000 loss, down from £300,000 profit last year. However [...]
All night long: Greggs feels benefit of evening opening hours October 3, 2023 Sausage rolls are proving a hit long into the evening as high street baker's longer opening hours begin to pay off
Food inflation lowest level since last August, as supermarket price wars pay off October 3, 2023 The rate at which food prices increase has fallen to 9.9 per cent in September, down from 11.5 per cent the prior month, and the lowest level since last August, in the latest signal that cost of living pressures customers face at the till are beginning to ease. Shop price annual inflation is now also [...]
Tourism tax: Heathrow sees rise in Chinese visitors — but they are not splashing the cash October 2, 2023 Chinese visitors have returned to numbers close to those before the pandemic — but they are not spending like they used to. Heathrow has reported that Chinese visitor numbers were at 88 per cent of 2019 levels in July, but the airport said their spending at its shops was only 33 per cent of what [...]
Sharon White: What went wrong at John Lewis — and who might pick up the pieces? October 2, 2023 Appointed with no retail experience, Sharon White's time at the top of John Lewis will come to an end after just five years
John Lewis: Under-pressure Sharon White to step down at end of five-year term October 2, 2023 Dame Sharon White will not seek a second five-year term as boss of John Lewis Partnership and will step down next year, according to reports.
City Pub Group: Expansion continues with acquisition of Bateman Street’s Simmons October 2, 2023 City Pub Group has announced the acquisition of two new pubs in Soho and Oxford, continuing a shopping spree this year. The pub group, which owns Chelsea’s The Phene and a host of other upmarket pubs, has snapped up the site of the popular Bateman Street Simmons cocktail bar and the Plough, one of the [...]
