John Lewis brings back ‘never knowingly undersold’ pledge in major U-turn September 5, 2024 Department store chain John Lewis is to bring back its famous ‘never knowingly undersold’ price pledge in a major U-turn. The national retailer has made the move after ditching the commitment over concerns it what less relevant to shoppers two years ago. The price promise, which was first introduced in 1925, will come back into [...]
Ornua Foods: Pilgrims Choice and Kerrygold maker churns up £500m UK sales September 5, 2024 Turnover at the UK division of Ornua Foods, the maker of Pilgrims Choice cheese and Kerrygold butter, surged to more than £500m during its latest financial year. The Staffordshire-headquartered arm’s sales totalled £523.8m in the year to 30 December, 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The figure comes after Ornua Foods reported a [...]
Samworth Brothers: Profit slashed despite price rises at Ginsters owner September 5, 2024 Sales at Samworth Brothers, the food giant that owns the likes of Soreen, West Cornwall Pasty Co and Ginsters, passed £1.5bn as its raised prices for its customers in 2023, it has been revealed. The Leicestershire-headquartered group said inflation through its supply chain pushed prices for customers up, “despite our significant efforts to mitigate these [...]
Swissport makes first UK profit since 2018 as sales finally recover from Covid September 5, 2024 The UK arm of Swissport has returned to the black for the first time since 2018 as its turnover recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The Cheshire-headquartered division of the aviation services giant also created 1,400 jobs during its latest financial year but its total headcount is still significantly lower than it was in 2019. Swissport has [...]
Nespresso: King Charles and David Beckham help coffee giant brew success September 5, 2024 The UK arm of Nespresso signed up David Beckham and used King Charles’ coronation to help boost its sales and profit during its latest financial year. The division, which is owned by Nestle, has reported a growth in its pre-tax profit for the 11th year in a row while its turnover has continued its run [...]
Wetherspoons pubs to make huge price cuts in VAT protest September 5, 2024 Pub giant JD Wetherspoon will make a huge cut to its prices next week in a bid to highlight what it describes as the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry. The London-listed giant, which has sites across the country, will be reducing the price of its food and drink by 7.5 [...]
Caterham Cars bosses voice ‘disappointment’ at fourth loss in a row September 4, 2024 Bosses at car maker Caterham have voiced their ‘disappointment’ in falling to a loss for the fourth year in a row. The Kent-headquartered manufacturer of lightweight sports cars has reported a pre-tax loss of £2.3m for the year to 31 March, 2024, having also made a loss of £2.7m in the prior 12 months. The [...]
Vodafone: Buybacks boost UAE’s sovereign wealth fund’s stake September 4, 2024 According to a recent update, the sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates now owns 15 per cent of Vodafone. While the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA) has not acquired any more shares in the communications giant, Vodafone’s ongoing share buyback has reduced the number of shares outstanding, boosting EIA’s position on the share register. [...]
Haven and Warner Hotels owner slips into the red after Butlin’s sale September 4, 2024 The group behind Haven holiday parks and Warner Leisure Hotels fell into the red after the sale of Butlin’s, it has been revealed. Bourne Leisure, which is owned by investment giant Blackstone, has reported a pre-tax loss of £166.5m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The loss comes after the group reported [...]
Kopparberg significantly cuts UK loss despite sales dip for cider brand September 3, 2024 The UK arm of cider brand Kopparberg significant cut its pre-tax loss during its latest financial year. The Leeds-headquartered division has reported a loss of £244,919 for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. That comes after Kopparberg posted a pre-tax loss of £2m in 2022. The last time the division made a pre-tax [...]