Greggs, JDW, dry-January, retail updates & other:

PREMIUM EMAIL – PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD:

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

This is a shortened email. Happy New Year to all. Back to work properly on Monday but let’s for now move onto the rather thin news: 

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PUBS & RESTAURANTS:

• More to comment on next week. Big news that slipped under the wire. Amazon and Deliveroo enquiry, Loungers’ stock placing, Cineworld comments on (getting trimmed up by) Netflix and some of the many, many private companies that reported results to Companies’ House over the Christmas period.

• JD Wetherspoon is to offer cheaper drinks for the month of January with CEO John Hutson saying ‘department stores and shops hold their sales in January, so it is the perfect time to have a sale in our pubs too.’

• Mr Hutson says ‘the range of drinks on sale in the pub is aimed at suiting a wide variety of tastes. This year, we have included our biggest selection of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks.’ The CEO concludes ‘I believe that the January sale will prove popular with our customers.’

• BrewDog is to launch its first ever alcohol free bar. To be located at Old Street in London, the opening of the bar will coincide with the start of Dry January.

• Greggs yesterday launched a vegan version of its popular steak bake aiming to capitalize on the success of its meatless sausage roll. CEO Roger Whiteside comments ‘our Vegan Sausage Roll launch was a huge success and we’ve been working tirelessly to expand our vegan friendly offering and provide more delicious savory food on-the-go options for people looking to reduce their meat intake.’

• Domino’s Pizza Group has paid tribute to its CFO, David Bauernfeind, who died in a ‘tragic accident’ while on holiday over Christmas. Domino’s CEO David Wild said: ‘We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news. On behalf of our board, our colleagues and our franchisees, we send our heartfelt sympathies to David’s wife Nicolette and daughter Ornella as well as his wider family and friends’.

• Heineken and Brewdog have announced plans to turn Dry January into a sales opportunity with a string of deals and promotions on their low ABV and alcohol-free beers.

• Local authorities in Scotland have given Diageo the go-ahead to restore a historic whisky distillery on the island of Islay.

• Produce company Oliver Kay Produce is to launch a Vegan Dish recipe competition. It says ‘the aim is to create recipes with a strong appeal to customers looking for enticing vegan dishes, as well as to inspire hospitality businesses to create profitable vegan menus.’

• Langton drinks in London yesterday evening. Pubs desolate, prices up to £6.10 per pint. Liverpool match helped a bit and, after all, it is January.

HOLIDAYS & LEISURE TRAVEL:   

• The mother of a British woman convicted in Cyprus of lying about being raped by 12 Israeli men has backed a tourist boycott of the island. 

• Hoseasons is promoting the year-round appeal of staycations in its new year TV advertising campaign. Hot tubs, cycling, stargazing and family celebrations feature in the advert.

• Despite the high-profile Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max crash, last year was one of the safest years ever for commercial aviation. The Aviation Safety Network recorded a total of 20 fatal airliner accidents, resulting in 283 deaths.  

• Eurostar has confirmed that service cancellations are continuing into the New Year.

OTHER LEISURE:

• The Daily Telegraph reports Disney’s UK-based subsidiaries spent £1.5bn over the past six years on making the five latest Star Wars movies. 

FINANCE & ECONOMICS:

• The BCC has said that the UK economy ended 2019 in stagnation. It says ‘the UK economy limped through the final quarter of 2019.’ The General Election and the ending of Brexit uncertainty (to some extent) may have an impact going forward.

• The UK car industry shed 70k jobs last year. Brexit uncertainty hasn’t helped but this is also a part of a larger global trend.

• Sterling lower at $1.3106 and €1.1736. Oil higher on Middle East concerns at $68.20. UK 10yr gilt yield 3bps lower at 0.79%. World markets higher yesterday but Far East lower after US military strike against Iranian military boss.

• Politics, Brexit etc.:

o Dominic Cummings has called for ‘weirdos and misfits’ to join him working for the government in upcoming moves to shake up the civil service.

START THE DAY WITH A SONG:

Yesterday’s song was a Space Oddity by the inimitable David Bowie. Today, who sang?

Trade is on the meat rack.

Strip joints full of hunchbacks

RETAIL WITH NICK BUBB:

• Nick back on Monday. Early indications from Next are that the Xmas and end-year update is more reassuring than perhaps had been feared.