Entire Scottish whisky distillery ships to China July 16, 2021 A Scottish whisky distillery, in its entirety, is being shipped out to China today. More than 35 tonnes of equipment, including flooring, control valves and pipework, is leaving Buckie in Moray for the port of Tianjin, according to a BBC report. It will be Inner Mongolia’s first whisky distillery when it opens towards the end [...]
Small shops face £1.7bn debt, says report by ex-boss of Iceland July 16, 2021 Small shops are struggling under £1.7bn debt, the former retail chief of Iceland, has warned. Independent businesses’ borrowing increased fourfold during the pandemic, according to the report. While the money borrowed has allowed small shops to survive, the task of paying back the loans still looms over them, said Bill Grimsey, the author of the [...]
eve Sleep sees sales up, bolstered by online shopping July 16, 2021 Mattress maker eve Sleep today reported overall revenue growth of 13 per cent in the first half of 2021, reaffirming full-year expectations. Despite increased sales, shares in the London-based company were down over 15 per cent early morning. eve Sleep said sales growth was primarily online due to coronavirus restrictions, but suggested the trend to [...]
Just Eat acquires Slovakian food delivery as global expansion continues July 16, 2021 Just Eat Takeaway has announced it will acquire Bistro.sk, a food delivery company in Slovakia, as it expands its global footprint. The deal, approximately valued at €50m, is expected to close later in the year. The Slovakian business operates in a similar format to Just Eat. Its 400,000 customers choose food, from the 2,000 or [...]
Ultimate Products to take over Salter and Heston Blumenthal partnership July 15, 2021 Britain’s oldest houseware brand Salter is set to be snapped up by London-listed Ultimate Products as consumers fell back in love with home cooking over lockdown. The deal is expected to be completed by 19 July and will cost Ultimate Products (UP) some £32m in cash. UP, which turned over £115.7m last year, will take [...]
Supermarkets urge shoppers to keep masks on after 19 July July 15, 2021 Supermarkets are urging customers to continue wearing masks even after 19 July, when they will no longer be a legal requirement in England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that from Monday 19 July, dubbed ‘Freedom Day’, almost all pandemic restrictions will be lifted including the legal requirement to wear masks. Instead the public will [...]
Exclusive: Soho Street Cocktails raises fresh funds with two supermarket chains running trials July 15, 2021 Pre-mixed drinks maker Soho Street Cocktails is raising a new round of funding through private equity firm Growthdeck, City PM can reveal. The funds raised through Growthdeck will be used for Soho Street Cocktails’ core strategy of growing sales through retailers and in bars and restaurants, as well as continuing to increase its production. Soho Street Cocktails sells pre-mixed, bar-quality cocktail pouches to [...]
Job vacancies rise above pre-pandemic levels after lockdown measures eased July 15, 2021 UK job vacancies rose to above pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 15 months, as average wages showed signs of growth. New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 862,000 job vacancies in April to June this year. The figure is almost 10 per cent higher than January to March before the [...]
Iceland boss warns of “pingdemic” chaos July 15, 2021 The managing director of the supermarket warns the government of urgent staff shortage challenges for businesses caused by a “broken” test and trace system, as “Freedom Day” approaches. Richard Walker said that despite fewer covid deaths and hospitalisations, he was facing the greatest pandemic challenges to running the frozen foods grocer yet, in a Daily [...]
Sale rates soar for online retailer ASOS July 15, 2021 Online fashion giant ASOS saw sales continue to skyrocket despite physical competitors re-opening, per the firm’s latest market update. UK sales increased 60 per cent for the retailer in the four months to the end of June, with active customers growing by a further 1.2m. Chief executive officer Nick Beighton said, “ASOS has delivered another [...]
