Pets at Home: Shares crater after retailer predicts slow growth in ‘subdued market’ November 27, 2024 Animal care retailer Pets at Home described the market as subdued due to cautious consumers, and said it will grow more slowly than expected in the next six months – despite a big hit from the Budget. Shares fell more than 10 per cent in early trades, with the retailer’s share price now down nearly [...]
London’s commercial property market to keep growing as staff ordered back to the office November 26, 2024 The green shoots which sprang up earlier this year in London’s commercial property market look set to continue into 2025, with real estate companies looking at a “cyclical growth opportunity”. London-listed property development firm Helical reported a minor recovery in the value of its property portfolio after several years of market uncertainty this morning. Its [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group snaps up South African sports retailer November 26, 2024 Frasers Group, the retail empire founded by billionaire Mike Ashley, has continued its global expansion with the acquisition of a South African company. The London-listed group, which already owns the likes of Sports Direct and House of Fraser, has snapped up sporting, outdoor and recreation goods company, Holdsport Group, for an undisclosed sum from the [...]
Profit quadruples at biscuit maker Tunnock’s despite chocolate crisis November 26, 2024 Profit at biscuit maker Tunnock’s quadrupled during its latest financial year despite the cocoa crisis in Africa. The Scottish confectionary business, which is headed up by Sir Boyd Tunnock, has reported a pre-tax profit of £4m for the 12 months to 24 February, 2024, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The latest figure comes [...]
Retail chief warns about return of inflation after tax-raising budget November 26, 2024 The chief of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that tax-raising measures announced in the latest government may lead to the return of inflation in the UK. Shop prices remained in deflation in November, down 0.6 per cent month on month, up from deflation of 0.8 per cent in the previous month. Shop price [...]
Very Group: Loss widens at Nadhim Zahawi-led Littlewoods owner November 25, 2024 The Very Group, which is chaired by former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, lost more in the first quarter of its new financial year than it did in its last 12 months, it has been revealed. The Liverpool-headquartered group, which is owned by the billionaire Barclay family, has reported a pre-tax loss of £22.9m for the 13 [...]
Budget tax hikes branded a ‘land grab’ by retail tech boss November 25, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget was a “land grab” that demonstrated “short-term thinking” and will hamper the already struggling retail sector, the UK boss of a retail tech firm has said. Roy Horgan, who is the UK chief executive of Euronext-listed Vusion Group, said rises to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) would be inflationary and prevent [...]
M&S to reset prices overseas as international sales dip November 24, 2024 M&S is looking to reset its prices in its overseas stores in a bid to turn around a slowdown in its international business. Chief executive Stuart Machin said the firm planned to “restore the competitiveness” of the company overseas and added that it was “way out of kilter on price”, The Sunday Telegraph reported. Despite remarkable [...]
Homebase racked up debts of over £730m ahead of collapse November 23, 2024 The company behind Homebase owed more than £730m when it collapsed into administration before the brand was partially saved by the owner of The Range, it has been revealed. Retail group CDS, which also owns Wilko, took on 70 stores and secured the future of up to 1,600 jobs at the troubled DIY and garden [...]
Budget uncertainty has gone but odds have been stacked against business November 22, 2024 If Rachel Reeves thought certainty would cure the UK economy’s growth problem, she was wrong. She’s just pitted consumers against retailers. This data-heavy week has reflected that uncertainty over the Budget has not been cured by policy which heaps pressure on business. We’ve had inflation rising, debt compounded, inheritance tax receipts soaring, farmers protesting, the [...]
