Unilever share price dives 7 per cent as £50bn battle for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer business begins in earnest January 17, 2022 The main City story this morning is the £50bn bid by Unilever for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer healthcare business, of which it owns a 68 per cent stake along with Pfizer, which Glaxo said it had rejected. “No doubt in the hope that Unilever will come back with a higher offer, with the sum of £60bn being [...]
Big Yellow Group plots return to normal with 30 per cent revenue boost as pandemic conditions ease January 17, 2022 Self-storage specialists Big Yellow Group have reported a 30 per cent revenue boost in its third quarter update.
Covid is ‘crashing’ as Omicron increasingly acts as a natural vaccine: Mild or no coronavirus symptoms yet all the antibodies January 17, 2022 Covid scientist are increasingly convinced the Omicron variant is acting as a natural vaccine for tens of millions of people around the world as most infected people have no or very mild symptoms, yet their bodies do produce full antibodies. Many countries are currently seeing record numbers of infections, including the UK, US, most of [...]
Patagonia boss calls on businesses to ‘justify’ sustainability claims January 16, 2022 Patagonia’s boss has once again slammed businesses for greenwashing, a practice which sees companies inflate their sustainability to lure in consumers. The outdoors retailer, which has been making fleeces from recycled bottles since the 90s, in 2011 issued a full-page advert in the New York Times urging customers to rethink their Black Friday purchases, even [...]
WH Smith faces investor revolt over executive pay January 16, 2022 WH Smith faces a revolt from investors after it was announced boss Carl Cowling was in line for a £550,000 bonus despite the firm not paying back government pandemic support.
Private equity firms readying bids for Boots after owner puts chain on sale for £7bn January 16, 2022 Private equity firms are readying to enter the auction for high street chemist Boots after its American owner Walgreens Boots Alliance put the chain on the market for £7bn.
Amazon’s ban on Visa circumvented as users still be able to pay with credit cards on e-com’s platform January 14, 2022 From Wednesday, Amazon will no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK. However, one company told City PM this afternoon it has found a way to which allows users to pay by Visa Credit on Amazon, so customers can continue using their Visa Credit cards on Amazon. Curve claims to be “the only [...]
Pubs lament ‘dreadfully disappointing December’ but toast rebounding January sales January 13, 2022 Pubs and restaurants were knocked back by low trade over the Christmas period, although rebounding sales in recent days have offered a ray of hope for the beleaguered sector. Sales in pubs, restaurants and bars were down 60 per cent on Christmas Day on pre-Covid levels, according to data from UKHospitality and CGA. Transactions were [...]
Card Factory warns of lower profits this year as inflation bites January 13, 2022 Card Factory has warned shareholders of lower profits this year due to rising inflation in the UK, which sent its share price into the red. The “significant inflationary headwinds” facing the card maker has already seen it hike prices while it focuses on making the business more efficient. However, the London-listed company cautioned that, despite [...]
Demand for staff swelling: Frantic recruitment efforts as vacancies climb but job candidates dry up January 13, 2022 Demand for staff is growing across the country amid a continued fall in the number of candidates for jobs, new research suggests. Recruiters warned this morning they are placing record numbers of permanent and temporary workers into jobs as demand for staff continues to grow across the country. Meanwhile, the number of available job candidates [...]
