Wilko: B&M snaps up 51 stores of beleaguered retailer for £13m September 5, 2023 B&M has confirmed that it will buy 51 Wilko stores for £13m following the highstreet stores collapse. The rival discount chain, which has over 700 sites across the UK, did not mention how many job roles would be saved in the process. On the sale, its share price was down more than three per cent [...]
London tourism revival gets boost as Pocket Planet latest to land in Oxford Street September 5, 2023 Oxford Street’s continued revival has been given another vote of confidence, with the launch of miniature world specialists Pocket Planet as the latest to take up a spot in the West End. Retail leaders have heralded plans to open its 30,000 square foot indoor world as proof of the capital’s investment attractiveness, and big brands’ [...]
Tourist tax must go, urge business leaders in last-minute plea to MPs September 5, 2023 A group of business leaders, including Gatwick Airport’s chief executive, have backed a letter by BusinessLDN making a final call to the government to scrap the so-called “tourist tax” days before the issue is set to be debated in parliament. The lobby group, which represents some of London’s biggest firms, has asked Chancellor Jeremy Hunt [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin slashes prices in tax battle with supermarkets September 4, 2023 Tim Martin has warned that the biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the “vast disparity” in tax treatment
John Lewis’ property punt already leaving more questions than answers September 4, 2023 The retailers' flagship property scheme appears set for a £57m paper loss
Superdry boss: “I’m the right man for the job” September 3, 2023 “Would this company be here if I hadn’t come back? I don’t think it would," the Superdry founder has said in an interview
Cerelia to sell Jus-Rol after appeal to allow pastry merger blocked in court September 2, 2023 A pastry manufacturer will be forced to sell off a rival business after an appeal to allow the merger was blocked by a judge, the UK’s competition watchdog has said. Cerelia, the UK’s largest producer of bake-at-home products in the UK, agreed to buy rival pastry maker Jus-Rol for an undisclosed amount in 2021. But [...]
UK expected to enjoy final (and belated) blast of summer next week September 1, 2023 The UK could enjoy a final blast of summer next week as temperatures are forecast to soar into the high 20s. The Met Office said some of the country could experience a heatwave from Saturday onwards, with the mercury reaching 28C or higher in some areas. As Hurricane Franklin rages over the Atlantic, it is [...]
HMV owner finalising deal to save majority of Wilko stores, reports say September 1, 2023 Thousands of jobs could be saved at collapsed retailer Wilko as the owner of HMV finalises a deal to buy hundreds of stores. A bid to buy the entirety of the business fell through on Thursday, leading to the first wave of redundancies affecting support centre and warehouse staff. But administrator PwC said that discussions [...]
M&S launches legal challenge after Gove blocks Oxford Street store revamp August 31, 2023 Marks and Spencer has launched a legal challenge against the government’s decision to reject the supermarket’s plan to revamp its Marble Arch store. The high street stalwart has accused Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, of unfairly applying planning policy to block the redesign of its flagship store. “We [...]