Home cooking drives ‘exceptional’ year-end for Mr Kipling owner Premier Foods January 19, 2021 Sales at Premier Foods were up nine per cent in the final quarter of 2020, and 12.5 per cent year-on-year, shrugging off pandemic worries. The business, which owns brands Mr Kipling, Bisto and Oxo, saw branded sales up more than 12 per cent this quarter, and 16 per cent year-on-year, driven in part by lockdown [...]
Hotel Chocolat celebrates sweet six months despite Covid-19 January 19, 2021 Hotel Chocolat has defied pandemic challenges and boosted its revenue in the 26-week period ending 27 December. Total group revenue for the period increased 11 per cent year-on-year, as the group pivoted to online sales to offset the impact of pandemic restrictions. The end of the year was particularly tasty for the chocolate retailer, with [...]
Matalan ‘very cautious’ over impact of latest lockdown as Christmas sales drop January 18, 2021 Budget fashion retailer Matalan warned that it is “very cautious” about the coming months due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus, as it announced a drop in sales over the crucial Christmas trading period. In the five weeks to 2 January, total UK revenue was £119.2m, down from £134.3m in the previous year, as the [...]
How Games Workshop helped a middle-aged generation survive the pandemic January 18, 2021 Every quarter for the last five years, there’s been a condescending raise of eyebrows from the finance world when a publicly-listed company from Nottingham releases its results. The Games Workshop, most famous for its tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000, grabbed headlines again last week when it reported its operating profits had jumped to £92m in the [...]
Retail footfall decline slows as fewer Brits stay home in lockdown January 18, 2021 Retail footfall levels during the current national lockdown have not plummeted to the record lows seen in March, the latest analysis showed. Footfall across all UK retail destinations dropped 10.9 per cent last week compared to the previous seven days. The decline was less than half the 27.1 per cent drop recorded the week before. [...]
Dr Martens confirms plans to float on LSE January 18, 2021 Dr Martens has confirmed it intends to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, with admission currently expected in early February. The company intends to apply for admission of the shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority, and to trading on the London Stock [...]
Next is frontrunner to rescue Topshop ahead of bid deadline tomorrow January 17, 2021 Next is seen as the frontrunner to buy Sir Philip Green’s Topshop empire out of administration. Earlier this month Next confirmed it is part of a consortium bidding for Arcadia brands, but said it was not seeking majority ownership of Sir Philip Green’s collapsed business empire. According to the Sunday Times Next faces competition from [...]
Deliveroo’s fresh funding round brings valuation to over $7bn ahead of IPO January 17, 2021 Food delivery startup Deliveroo has secured $180m in new funding, pushing its valuation to over $7bn ahead of its long-awaited float. The Series H funding round was led by Durable Capital Partners and Fidelity Management & Research and indicates the strong demand from investors ahead of its IPO. The British unicorn is preparing for a [...]
Hi-de-hi, hi-de-buy? Blackstone in for Butlin’s owner January 15, 2021 US private equity firm Blackstone is closing in on a stake in the owner of Butlin’s holiday resorts as it looks to cash in on higher demand for staycations after the pandemic. The investment giant is in advanced talks with Bourne Leisure over acquiring a significant holding in a deal that values the company at [...]
More than 200 jobs axed after M&S deal to buy Jaeger fails to save stores January 15, 2021 More than 200 high street jobs have been axed after womenswear brand Jaeger collapsed, resulting in the closure of its 63 stores. Marks & Spencer has acquired Jaegers stock and marketing assets but the retailer’s stores and concessions were not part of the deal. In total 211 store staff and 22 head office employees have [...]
