Gong Cha: Bubble tea chain plans huge UK expansion and 2,000 new jobs March 17, 2025 Bubble tea chain Gong Cha has revealed plans to open more than 225 stores across the UK and create nearly 2,000 jobs after signing a franchise agreement with a Costa Coffee giant. The London-headquartered business, which was founded in Taiwan in 2006, said the deal with Jinziex forms part of its wider strategy to reach [...]
Asda owner TDR Capital weighing up David Lloyd sale March 14, 2025 TDR Capital, the private equity giant behind the likes of Asda, is considering selling gym chain David Lloyd to itself. The firm has hired Jefferies to explore its options which could include transferring its stake from one of its funds to another while securing new investors. According to the FT, which first reported the story, [...]
Home Bargains billionaire promises Liverpool its first five-star hotel March 13, 2025 Liverpool could be set for its first five-star hotel if plans for a 60-storey skyscraper are approved for the city, it has emerged. The update, delivered to investors at international property conference MIPIM in the south of France, comes after plans for the development were first revealed last year. KEIE Limited, a subsidiary of TJ [...]
PensionBee: Losses slashed as US expansion helps revenue surge March 13, 2025 PensionBee has hailed a “transformative year” for the listed business as it slashed its pre-tax loss and grew its revenue by almost £10m as it expanded into the US. The company has posted a pre-tax loss of £3.1m for 2024, down from the £10.5m loss it reported for 2023. New figures filed with the London [...]
Lok’nStore slumps to a loss after £378m takeover as bonuses cut March 13, 2025 UK self-storage group Lok’nStore slumped to a loss in the year it was taken private in a deal worth around £378m, it has been revealed. The Surrey-headquartered company was snapped up by Belgium’s Shurgard in April 2024. Lok’nStore had been listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM since 2000. New accounts filed with Companies House show [...]
RSA: More Than sale helps insurance giant to huge profit March 12, 2025 Insurance giant RSA has surged back into the black after selling the More Than brand as its revenue jumped by more than £350m. The London-headquartered group, which dates back over 300 years, has reported a pre-tax profit of £195m for 2024. The new figure comes after RSA posted a pre-tax loss of £19m in 2023. [...]
Birmingham landmark on sale in cut-price deal as value slashed in half March 11, 2025 A landmark office building in Birmingham city centre has been put up for sale for half what it was bought for in 2019. The Lewis Building and its adjoining neighbour Priory Court in Bull Street were acquired by Gulf Islamic Investments for £140m. The investor, which has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, bought the [...]
Direct Line boss gets huge pay day ahead of Aviva’s £3.7bn takeover March 11, 2025 The chief executive of Direct Line Group has received a huge pay day ahead of its £3.7bn takeover by Aviva. Adam Winslow took home a pay packet of more than £7.8m for the insurance giant’s latest financial year, according to its annual report. The CEO’s pay was significantly boosted by a £5.8m payment from Direct [...]
Interactive Investor CEO: My top three tips for investing March 11, 2025 The boss of Interactive Investor has shared his top three tips for investing in UK and foreign markets ahead of the Spring Statement.
Stella McCartney: Fashion brand suffers sales slump amid huge loss March 11, 2025 Sales at Stella McCartney’s fashion brand were slashed almost in half as its losses widened by £15m in the year before the designer bought out LVMH, it has been revealed. Accounts filed almost six months after the Companies House deadline show Stella McCartney Ltd’s turnover was slashed from £40m to £21.9m in 2023. The accounts [...]