Archive: September 2016

Current trading; who are the winners & losers?

Background – costs: There is little inflation but 0% LfL won’t be enough to hold margin Because what inflation there is, is the ‘wrong sort’ Utilities are OK but wages (esp. National Living Wage) are a problem Occupancy costs & F&B costs are benign – but the latter will rise as Sterling falls Outlook for…

Coffer Peach Tracker: Could have been (much) better…

Tracker headline ‘Britain enjoys summer by still eating & drinking out’ doesn’t tell full story: Says LfL sales +0.6% & frames this as a success But CPI is +0.6% so above implies no growth NLW, NMW etc. mean labour costs +5% & inflation re F&B in the pipeline And c5.6% increase in unit numbers could…

Summer’s over, what was it like? Better than 2015 – but don’t get carried away…

Summer Weather – Better than 2015, let’s leave it at that…: So what was the weather like over the summer? It’s not a secret, here’s the Met Office data.   2015 2016 JUNE     ·         Temperature 0.3 degrees below av. 0.9 above ·         Rainfall ‘above average’ 39% > av. ·         Minimum Minus 1.9 degrees…

Over-expansion, cheap money & fabricated demand

Restaurant Group & Ed’s Easy Diner have said that they are to dispose of units: Restaurant Group has said that it is taking ‘catch up action on underperforming sites’ It is to close 33 units Ed’s has also said that it is to consolidate its position & exit 3 units RTN and Ed’s are unlikely…