Asda’s petrol station business sold to EG Group for £750m as part of takeover deal February 3, 2021 The Issa brothers and TDR Capital have announced that they will sell Asda’s petrol station business to EG Group, which they also own, for £750m after they complete their deal to buy the supermarket giant. The consortium announced this morning that the Asda deal is expected to complete later this month, subject to regulatory approval. [...]
Viagogo forced to break up Stubhub after $4bn takeover February 2, 2021 Viagogo must sell all of Stubhub’s operations outside the US to satisfy competition concerns over its $4bn (£2.9bn) takeover, regulators said today. A probe by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the deal would lead to a substantial reduction in competition in the secondary ticketing market and potentially result in higher fees or [...]
Covid restrictions drive online food shopping to record high as customers eat in to help out February 2, 2021 Online grocery shopping hit a record 14 per cent share of the UK grocery market in January, as customers bought more food to enjoy from home. The growth was boosted by a 229 per cent year-on-year rise in online spending by retired households. Supermarkets saw sales growth accelerate to 12.2 per cent in the last [...]
Moonpig soars on market debut as shares leap by a quarter within minutes February 2, 2021 Online greeting card platform Moonpig saw its shares rise by 25 per cent within minutes of pricing its London IPO on Tuesday. Stock in the newly listed firm was trading at around 440 pence per share shortly after floating at 350 pence. The sharp rise underlines spirited investor appetite and sets the stage for other [...]
Pub chain and Hobgoblin brewer Marston’s rejects £690m takeover offer from US private equity giant February 1, 2021 Pub chain and Hobgoblin brewer Marston's rejects £690m takeover offer from Platinum Equity Advisors
Central London’s economy hit hardest by Covid as tourist spending plummets £10bn February 1, 2021 Research published by Sadiq Khan shows central London’s economy has been hit hardest by Covid-19, largely due to home working and a sharp drop in tourism. Tourism spending fell by £10.9bn in 2020 compared to the year before, with more than 26,000 jobs at risk in arts and culture alone and the night-time economy also [...]
Nintendo profits soar as home gaming booms in 2020 February 1, 2021 Video game giant Nintendo saw its profit almost double in 2020 as the world played games at home during the pandemic. The Japanese company said its April to December profit surged to 376.6bn yen ($3.6bn) from 196bn yen in 2019. It reported more than a 10 per cent rise in its Switch games console sales [...]
Asos buys Arcadia’s Topshop and Miss Selfridge in £330m deal, leaving thousands jobless February 1, 2021 Arcadia’s Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands have been sold to online retailer Asos in a £330m deal. Arcadia’s administrator Deloitte this morning confirmed Asos would buy the brands for £295m, and would also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. Asos paid around £265m for the brands, some £30m for the [...]
JD Sports buys American sportswear brand DTLR Villa February 1, 2021 JD Sports will buy American sportswear brand DTLR Villa, in a deal worth $495m. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, and currently majority owned by BRS & Co. and Goode Capital, DTLR was established in 1982 and is an athletic footwear and apparel streetwear retailer. Originally named Downtown Locker Room, the company later re-branded as DTLR and, [...]
Sir Philip Green’s family set to make £50m from Topshop sale January 30, 2021 Sir Philip Green’s family is reportedly set to receive £50m from the sale of Topshop. The troubled retail group collapsed at the end of last year and its flagship brands Topshop and Topman reportedly failed with gross liabilities of more than £550m. The groups’ demise launched 13,000 jobs into uncertainty and became the biggest casualty [...]