Deliveroo to update app with allergen information in wake of Pret crisis October 24, 2018 Food delivery startup Deliveroo has today said it is revamping its app with a new menu system which will allow restaurants to upload allergen information for every dish. London favourites such as Tortilla, Mildred's and Chipotle have signed up for the app's trial roll out in December, which will feature 30 brands that serve almost 300 sites. [...]
Gourmet Burger Kitchen earmarks 17 restaurants for closure as it enters company voluntary agreement October 24, 2018 Famous Brands, the South Africa-based owner of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, has announced the restaurant chain will initiate a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) amid financial woes. The company said it has 17 restaurants earmarked for potential closure, affecting 250 jobs. The company would not comment on which locations may be closed. It will hold a meeting with creditors [...]
Heineken sticks to outlook as it grows beer sales in all four corners of the globe October 24, 2018 Brewer Heineken grew across the globe in the third quarter, helped by good weather in Europe and strong development in the US and South America, it revealed today in a trading update. The brewer kept its forecast for the financial year unchanged after it was revised down in July on the back of weak currencies [...]
Patisserie Valerie survives HMRC’s winding up petition as it looks into share option accounting irregularities October 24, 2018 A winding up petition against debt-ridden cake shop Patisserie Valerie has been dismissed, the company confirmed today. HMRC had sought to liquidate the scandal-hit firm over unpaid tax of £1.14m by seeking the order against parent company Patisserie Holdings' principal trading subsidiary, Stonebeach Limited, yesterday. Read more: HMRC seeks winding up order against Patisserie Valerie [...]
Ranked: Sports Direct tops poll of UK’s most loathed brands October 23, 2018 House of Fraser owner Sports Direct is the UK’s most loathed brand, according to consumer finance website Money Saving Expert. However, billionaire Mike Ashley's bottom-placed retail giant may have been hurt by a social media campaign against the company, admitted the website, which asked 7,600 readers to rank 52 household name brands. Read more: Mike [...]
Scratch that: John Lewis throws DVD players on the scrapheap as Netflix takes over October 23, 2018 John Lewis has pulled the plug on DVD players as competition from online streaming has decimated demand for physical films. The disk, which became popular in the last decade, fell out of fashion as Netflix invaded British homes. Read more: Why John Lewis' price promise won't deliver profits But those with a broken reader and [...]
Asos appoints ex-Britvic finance chief as new CFO October 23, 2018 Asos today appointed Britvic chief financial officer Mathew Dunn as its new CFO. The exact start date is yet to be announced, though the online retailer has said that Dunn will join the firm in spring 2019, leaving Britvic to take on the role. Read more: Shares in Asos soar on news of boosted profits and revenue [...]
Intu’s property empire loses £300m of value as retailers shut up shop October 23, 2018 Intu took a £300m hit to its property valuation in its latest quarter, also cutting its rental growth forecast amid the UK’s high street decline, it revealed today. The shopping centre chain is currently mulling a £2.9bn takeover offer from a consortium including British billionaire John Whittaker, Saudi investment group Olayan, and Brookfield Property Group. [...]
Coming off caffeine: Premier Inn opens more rooms as owner Whitbread looks to life after Costa October 23, 2018 Costa owner Whitbread grew revenues 2.6 per cent in the first half, as it looks to move away from the coffee business it sold to Coca-Cola. The results Revenue increased to £1.08bn, largely driven by tourism and growing capacity as it continues to expand its Premier Inn chain of hotels. Read more: Whitbread shareholders vote [...]
Bloomsbury revenues rise as books buck the UK’s retail downturn October 23, 2018 Revenues at Bloomsbury Publishing have posted strong growth in the first six months of the year, as the group's seven-point turnaround plan starts to pay off. Bloomsbury's share price rose 2.24 per cent as markets opened this morning. The figures Adjusted profit before tax for the six months to August, which excludes costs associated with [...]