William Grant & Sons UK (formerly First Drinks Brands) has announced the results of its annual spirits and champagne report, revealing current consumer trends and shopper habits. Re-branding to William Grant & Sons (UK) The company is a leader in the UK spirits industry with a portfolio of premium and iconic brands, and is now owned by the fifth generation of the … [Read more...]
Hony Capital acquires Pizza Express
Pizza Express has been acquired by Chinese private equity company Hony capital in a deal thought to be worth around £900 million and after strong interest from other investors. Pizza Express employs over 9,000 workers worldwide, and has a total of 504 restaurants, including 436 in the UK, and 68 internationally, where it has restaurants in China, Dubai, Hong Kong, India, … [Read more...]
Only 2% of UK micro-businesses using Mobile Point-of-Sale
‘mPOS attitudes and adoption’, carried out by research firm Mobile Squared for Kalixa Group, reveals that only 2% of micro-businesses in the UK use a Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) to accept payments. It also identifies the number one barrier to business growth is cash flow. mPOS solutions enable businesses to accept a card payment using a smartphone instead of a traditional … [Read more...]
Santander commits £100m to Scottish hotel and leisure
Hotel and leisure entrepreneurs in Scotland who want to capitalise on the growth generated by the XXth Commonwealth Games and other events taking place in Scotland have received a boost from Santander Corporate & Commercial, which is making £100m of funding available to these sectors this year. As Scotland prepares to host the Games, the Ryder Cup and to support … [Read more...]
Raymond Blanc backs campaign to reduce VAT
Celebrity chef and hotelier Raymond Blanc has backed the campaign to reduce the rate of VAT on accommodation and attractions in the UK. Boosting GDP and creating jobs The Cut Tourism VAT wants the UK Government to slash VAT on accommodation and attractions from 20% to 5%. New independent research has shown that a cut to the rate of VAT on hotels will not only boost GDP by … [Read more...]