Shakespeare: Boohoo buys Debenhams brand to broaden its customer base January 27, 2021 Online fashion giant Boohoo has bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55 million, meaning its remaining stores will be forced to close. Boohoo already purchased the Karen Millen and Coast brands in 2019, however this is the first time the e-tailer has stepped out of the fashion category, with Debenhams enabling entry to the [...]
Paperchase rescue deal to save 1,000 high street jobs January 27, 2021 High street stationery retailer Paperchase is set to announce a rescue deal today that is expected to save around 1,000 jobs. Paperchase will be sold through a pre-pack administration to Permira Debt Managers – connected to its current private equity owners – which has provided funding for the business since 2015, Sky News reported. Up [...]
Poundland sales grow as discount store chain introduces new price points and product lines January 27, 2021 Poundland owner Pepco reported a jump in revenue in the first quarter due to its status as an essential retailer and its introduction of new price points and product lines including clothing and homeware. The discount store chain, which trades as Pepco and Dealz in Europe and Poundland in the UK, said group like-for-like sales [...]
Covid-19 drives growth at Microsoft as cloud business benefits from home working January 26, 2021 Revenue was up at Microsoft in its second quarter, with the pandemic accelerating the company’s switch to cloud-based computing. Microsoft beat Wall Street estimates for revenue growth from Azure, it’s cloud computing service, as the software giant continued to benefit from a global shift to working and learning from home. The company’s shares, which gained about [...]
Louis Vuitton owner LVMH sees revenue fall after tough year January 26, 2021 Luxury product group LVMH saw revenue decline 17 per cent in 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic caused serious disruption to the business. The business recorded revenues of 44.7bn euros in 2020, down 17 per cent on 2019, and profit from recurring operations at the business, which also owns brands Moet and Hennessy, declined by just [...]
Topshop owner Arcadia collapsed with debts of hundreds of millions of pounds January 26, 2021 Troubled retailer Arcadia collapsed with gross liabilities of more than £550m, according to documents prepared by Deloitte, Arcadia’s administrator. Reports prepared at the end of November 2020 revealed Topshop – Arcadia’s flagship brand – and Topman failed with gross liabilities of more than £550m, the Telegraph revealed. Discount brand Outfit owed £80m. The Telegraph [...]
Restaurants warn of closures amid talk of lockdown extention January 26, 2021 Restaurant and bar owners say they are “devastated” by the news lockdown restrictions could be in place until July, with many saying they will struggle to remain open if they are not able to serve customers soon. Pied a Terre’s David Moore said restaurants were already “running on empty” and warned of another wave of [...]
City restaurants among those honoured in 2021 Michelin guide January 26, 2021 Restaurants around the City were celebrated in this year’s Michelin honours list, despite many being closed for most of the year. Da Terra in Bethnal Green and Restaurant Story in Bermondsey, headed up by Rafael Cagali and Tom Sellers respectively, were both awarded two Michelin stars, giving workers even more reason to return to the [...]
‘No plans’ to extend VAT cut for hospitality, Treasury minister says January 26, 2021 The government has “no plans” to extend the VAT cut for hospitality, tourism and leisure firms, despite industry calls for the tax break to continue while the sector is under coronavirus restrictions. Rishi Sunak last year reduced VAT for hospitality firms from 20 per cent to five per cent as part of emergency coronavirus measures. [...]
Martha Stewart’s got the munchies: Lifestyle guru selling CBD oil treats for pets January 26, 2021 Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart today launched a line of cannabis-infused oil drops and soft-baked chews for dogs