High street bosses plead for crisis cash to help with dramatic energy bill hikes May 18, 2022 High street businesses have called for emergency help over skyrocketing energy bills, as bosses warn a cocktail of cost pressures threaten to subdue their pandemic recovery. Without government action, historic levels of inflation and dramatic energy bill rises pose a risk to the beauty sector’s recovery, the British Beauty Council has said. The industry group [...]
Brexit red tape onslaught deepens as UK economy loses £47bn because businesses drown in cross-border tax complexities May 18, 2022 Cross-border tax complexities cost the UK economy £47.6bn in lost revenue last year, an average revenue loss of 16 per cent on total EU exports, according to fresh industry data shared with Morning Wire this morning. The stresses of navigating complex regulations post-Brexit continues to hold back growth for UK exporters, and is causing significant [...]
Morrisons rescue deal for McColl’s totalled £182m May 18, 2022 Grocer Morrisons coughed up some £182m to snap up beleaguered convenience store operator McColl’s, defeating a rival bid from Asda owners the Issa brothers. The newsagent chain’s equity value was worth around £3m earlier this month while senior creditors were owed some £160m, documents from administrators PwC revealed. While the Issa’s EG Group had offered [...]
All Bar One and O’Neills owner struggles to drive sales as inflation bites May 18, 2022 All Bar One and O'Neills owner Mitchells & Butlers feels the sting of inflation, with like-for-like sales growth of one per cent over the first half of the year compared to 2019 figures.
Burberry posts revenue success but says future depends on Chinese Covid recovery May 18, 2022 Burberry reported a 23 per cent rise in revenue to £2.83bn, but said the ongoing outlook for the luxury brand depended on Chinese recovery. Despite group adjusted operating profit up to £523m, the comparable store sales in Asia Pacific were down seven per cent in the final quarter in the final quarter as lockdown batters [...]
Petrol firms defend ‘nauseating prices’ as business minister implores retailers to pass on fuel duty cut May 17, 2022 Retailers have defended forecourt prices as politicians call for costs to be slashed after a fuel duty cut earlier this year. Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng has written to businesses to implore them to pass on the savings from a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty introduced in March. It comes after motoring group the [...]
Pubs and restaurants battle to keep prices competitive amid ‘intense pressure’ on margins May 17, 2022 The hospitality sector has warned of “intense pressure” on margins while shoppers have been told food prices could surge as much as 10 per cent. Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman cautioned that shoppers could see an even pricey weekly shop amid historic levels of inflation. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on [...]
Tennent’s Lager maker sells minority stake in Admiral Taverns pubco May 17, 2022 Bulmers maker C&C group intends to sell its entire minority interest in pub operator Admiral Taverns to Proprium Capital Partners for £55m. The drinks firm invested in the community pub chain in a joint venture with Proporium in September 2017. In C&C’s full year results published on Tuesday, it revealed the sale of the shares [...]
Morrisons owner CD&R eyes £2.5bn takeovers of facilities management titans May 17, 2022 Morrison private equity owner is reportedly planning to snap up and merge two facilities management firms. Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is in discussions to buy significant stakes in Atalian Servest and OCS, Sky News reported. Last year, the New York-based private equity firm clinched a £7bn deal to takeover the grocer Morrisons. The deals [...]