Wilko: M2 Capital set to bow out of takeover race after missing bid deadline August 31, 2023 M2 capital has missed a deadline to show it has sufficient funds to snap up Wilko, Morning Wire has learned, in a sign that the frontrunner in the race to save the high street chain could be about to bow out. Administrators for Wilko, PwC, had until 09:00 today to submit documentation to prove it [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers carves out 9.1 per cent stake in Boohoo as share price rises August 31, 2023 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has raised his stake in fast fashion firm Boohoo from 7.9 per cent to 9.1 per cent. The retail powerhouse, which owns Sports Direct and Frasers, had previously carved out a smaller stake in the company earlier this summer. The company previously said the move with Boohoo could lead to collaborations [...]
Lego profits tumble as pandemic playday comes to an end August 30, 2023 The Lego Group has suffered a steep fall in profits, figures from its half year results show, as demand for the plastic bricks maker showed signs of dwindling amid a tough economic climate. Operating profit at the children’s toy brand reached DKK 6.4bn (£740m) during the first half of the year, down considerably from DKK [...]
Wilko: Union warns that job losses could be announced on Thursday August 30, 2023 Job losses at Wilko could reportedly be announced as soon as Thursday, after an offer to buy the entire 400-strong estate failed to pass “basic checks”, members from the GMB Union have warned. The union representing thousands of Wilko staff has now said that redundancy talks, which were suspended earlier this week, could be restarted. [...]
Who are the frontrunners in the race to save Wilko? August 30, 2023 Why did Wilko go bust? A cocktail of dwindling demand for physical stores and competition in the discount market appeared to tip Wilko into administration. Even when a squeeze on public finances forced shoppers back to the high street in search of cheaper goods, they seemed to favour rivals B&M and Poundland when nabbing a [...]
The Works: Discounter fails to benefit from cost of living crisis as profit slides August 30, 2023 The retailer The Works, which speciailses in knockdown prices, has failed to turn the cost of living crisis to its advantage
Brexit to blame? Pubs lost £22m over August Bank Holiday due to staff shortages August 29, 2023 Pubs lost out on a whopping £22m over the bank holiday weekend due to staff shortages which continue to cripple the UK hospitality sector post-Brexit. While the August bank holiday led many punters to the pub to enjoy extended weekend, a new study from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) showed that staff shortages [...]
Wilko ‘not out of the woods’ yet as redundancies suspended while PwC mulls bids August 29, 2023 Wilko has suspended all redundancies while its administrators PwC consider further bids, GMB Union has said. The union met administrators of PwC this morning to discuss multiple bids which have been made for the discount retailer. “Whilst this is a positive development, Wilko is not out of the woods by any means and this is [...]
Trust in supermarkets at 10-year low like ‘dark days of horsemeat scandal’ August 29, 2023 Trust in supermarkets has plunged to its lowest level in nearly a decade as consumers continue to worry about high prices, despite food inflation showing signs of easing. In August the grocery sector received a trust score of +30 -on a scale of -100 to +100 -from British shoppers, a new study by Which? revealed [...]
Food inflation cools but Russia’s exit from grain deal poses threat to prices August 29, 2023 Food inflation cooled once again in August, new figures out today show, in a sign that cost of living pressures in the UK are gradually starting to ease. Food inflation fell to 11.6 per cent in August, down from 14.3 per cent in July, according to fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). However, [...]