Poundland owner Pepco pledges to ‘protect prices’ as discounter names new CEO April 22, 2022 Poundland owner Pepco has vowed to “protect prices” as customers feel the pinch of rising bills. The Warsaw-listed retailer posted a 17.6 per cent rise in first-half revenue, sales were buoyed by new store openings. Customers would be protected from increases to prices by the retailer renegotiating terms with key suppliers and stock efficiency programmes, [...]
Ray-Ban maker enjoys spike in revenue ahead of a summer with fewer restrictions April 22, 2022 Eyewear group EssilorLuxottica SA, the maker of Ray-Ban, has enjoyed a spike in revenue over the past three months, as consumers gear up for summer. The French-Italian retailer snagged a cool £4.67bn in the first quarter of the year, up more than a third year-on-year, with consumers more likely to be making trips abroad this [...]
B&M boss Simon Arora to step down after 17 years leading retailer April 22, 2022 B&M has announced its chief executive Simon Arora is stepping down after more than 17 years at the helm of the variety goods retailer. Arora will retire from his role in a year as the retailer begins a recruitment drive for his replacement. Alongside his brother Bobby, Arora snapped up B&M when its estate boasted [...]
Sky high inflation: Consumer confidence crashes as Brits worry about big purchases April 22, 2022 Consumer confidence has crashed this month, nearing a historic low in GrowthforKnowledge (GfK)’s index. The data company’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased seven points to -38 in April, as Brits worried about rising inflation. All measures, which look at how Brits feel about their personal situation and general economic situation, as well as major purchases, were [...]
Zapp: Rapid delivery app doubles down on London as key ‘convenience mega city’ market April 21, 2022 Rapid delivery start-up Zapp has said it is doubling down on London in its expansion plans. The app plans to differentiate from rivals by focusing on the capital, instead of smaller cities, Zapp’s vice president of strategy, Steve O’Hear told CityA.M. With a focus on a “need it, want it now,” market, the app’s approach [...]
Retail hesitancy: Online sales drop as shoppers feel pinch of rising inflation April 21, 2022 Online shoppers are spending less as the cost of living crunch starts to bite across the world, and consumers have turned to BNPL services to continue purchasing. Global digital sales have dropped three per cent year-on-year, the first recorded drop in nine years of tracking by Salesforce. The firm’s shopping index shows a drop in [...]
EG Group to create 22.7k UK jobs by 2026 as Issa brothers’ food service arm swells April 21, 2022 Petrol forecourt operator EG Group has said it will create some 22,700 jobs in the UK in the next four years. The billionaire Issa brothers’ company has said it will provide some 32,000 jobs across the world over the next few years, thanks to investment in its foodservice arm. Jobs will be created across EG’s [...]
Brexit and pandemic onslaught have altered UK workforce with highest-ever number of non-EU workers April 21, 2022 UK, EU and non-EU payroll data varied drastically during the course of the pandemic, according to fresh data sent to Morning Wire this morning. While the UK entered the first lockdown in March 2020 with payroll numbers at 25.7m that then dropped to 24.9m by March 2021, non-EU payroll saw figures at 2.12m in March [...]
Brexit-supporting Newark in shock as largest employer shuts up shop and heads for mainland Europe April 21, 2022 Local media and residents in the English town of Newark, as well as its local MP Robert Jenrick, are said to be shocked and disappointed by the decision of food producer Goodlife Foods to shut up shop and move its entire production to mainland Europe. The decision is likely to result in around 110 job [...]
Nestlé warns of further price rises over the year amid rampant inflation April 21, 2022 Nestlé has cautioned more price rises could be on the horizon for consumers as cost inflation leaps. In a three month trading update, the Kit Kat owner said it had already “stepped up pricing in a responsible manner” and seen “sustained consumer demand.” Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider added: “Cost inflation continues to increase sharply, which [...]