JDW, TAST, VARE, Cook’s Coffee, consumer confidence, trading & other:

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

I remember watching a somewhat unkind ‘aren’t they daft’ video clip in which two young ladies were persuaded that, if they were ever going to be able to absorb any additional knowledge, they would have to tip something out of their brain to make room for it.

Silly, huh?

But if jettisoning some vague knowledge of cobblers’ lasts and the pre-industrial revolution leather industry in the English midlands in order to know everything about AI or super-computer programming, then it could be a good thing and, this is me trying to make a virtue out of a necessity, I now am that person.

Because, whilst I can remember my childhood telephone number, I’m not sure where I put the car keys and, try as I might, I can’t push the former out of my brain in order to make room for the latter.

Anyway, that’ll take a while to resolve. On to the news:

LANGTON EMAIL:

The Free Email is now written in short form. Extended versions of many stories (after the ellipses) are in the Premium Email. Reply to this email if you would like to upgrade.

Prices for the Premium are £395 for one subscription, £695 for multiple, £995 for very large subscribers, all plus VAT. Or sign up for easy in, easy out monthly option per subscriber HERE

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=87YUG2Z5W7PSN

JD WETHERSPOON – Q3 TRADING UPDATE:

JD Wetherspoon has this morning updated on Q3 trading and out comments thereon are set out below: Headline numbers: JDW reports on current trading saying that ‘like-for-like sales increased by 5.6% in the 13 weeks to 27 April 2025, compared to the same period last year.’ It adds that year-to-date like-for-like sales increased by 5.1%. Growth as at H2 was 4.8% and the company, in line with the industry, has been helped recently by fair weather. Total sales rose by a slightly lesser 5.0% in the quarter and by 4.2% YTD ‘as a result of a small number of pub disposals, as indicated in “Property” below..’

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

PUBS & RESTAURANTS:

Consumer confidence:

Which Magazine reports that consumer confidence in the UK economy has slipped to its lowest level since the cost of living crisis, driven by concerns about instability caused by President Trump’s tariff flip-flopping and the ongoing war in Ukraine…

as people worry about the impact of US tariffs and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

Trading:

S4Labour reports that ‘hospitality sales were up 5.1% in April compared to the same month last year. It says that ‘the overall increase was driven by sales outside of the capital, with non-London seeing an uptick of 7.2%. Meanwhile, London saw a decline of 1.2% year-on-year….’

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

Deposit Return Scheme:

The UK Government created an industry body, the UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO), to run what will be a £1.13bn deposit return scheme when it is launched in October 2027.

UK Service Sector:

S&P has reported April PMIs (Purchasing Managers’ Index) numbers for the UK service sector in April saying that there has been a renewed downturn in new work and a slowdown in exports. Neither of the above feature heavily in B2C services, being a feature more of B2B work but S&P goes on to say that this was the first fall since October 2023 with a PMI of 49.0 in April, down from 52.5 in March, where any number below 50.0 implies contraction…

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

Commenting on the Programme for Government in Scotland, UKH Scotland has written to the First Minister saying that ‘policies like the incoming single-use cup tax – or ‘latte levy’ – and alcohol marketing proposals’ should be ‘indefinitely paused’…

COMPANY NEWS:

Tasty has reported full year numbers for the 52 weeks to 29 December saying that revenue came in at £36.6m (2023: £46.9m), down 21.9% year-on-year driven by the closure of 16 trading units through the Group Restructuring Plan initiated on 9 April 2024. It adds that ‘adjusted EBITDA (pre IFRS 16) was a £0.3m loss (2023: £0.9m loss). The group reports an adjusted ‘operating loss of £1.6m (2023: £2.6m loss); an improvement of £1m.’ The company says it is ‘now on a secure footing for potential future growth with no material uncertainty qualification in the accounts for the 52 week period ended 29 December 2024….’

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

Various Eateries has updated on trading for the half-year (26 weeks) to 30 March 2025 syaing that it has seen ‘encouraging LFL sales momentum and strong profit growth’. It says these ‘underpin [the] confident outlook. VARE adds that ‘trading in line with market expectations for the full year, having delivered sales of £24.7 million for the Period, an increase of 8.8% versus the prior year (H1 2024: £22.7 million). Growth was driven primarily by the contribution of new site openings….’

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

Cooks Coffee Company has reported that it ‘has entered into a Master Franchise Agreement for the country of India. The agreement has been signed with Sterling Coffee House Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle that will manage the venture….’

DoorDash, which has been busy recently. yesterday reported Q1 numbers in the US, saying that Q1 total order numbers increased 18% year-over-year to 732 million and revenue rose by 21% to $3.0 billion. It says that net income rose to $193 million from a loss of $(23) million in Q1 2024….

The MCA reports that Papa Johns has temporarily closed 13 restaurants in the South West of England after ending a franchise arrangement in the area. A franchisee took over the running of the sites in December 2023 after Renz Restaurants went into liquidation….

Punch Pubs & Co reports that it has added to its growing portfolio with the acquisition of The Engineers Arms in the rural village of Henlow, Bedfordshire.

Pizza Pilgrims is to open a unit on Brick Lane, East London, on 17 May. It says the site is a ‘beaut corner site in the heart of The Truman Brewery with huge wrap-around windows and double-height ceilings.’

Restaurant Online reports that the operator behind Gino D’Acampo’s UK restaurants has been bought out of administration in a deal that will save 400 jobs across five venues.

HOLIDAYS & LEISURE TRAVEL:

Brighton Pier Group PLC yesterday announced that its shares, now no longer on the AIM, have been admitted to trade on JP Jenkins share dealing platform.

Marriott has reported Q1 numbers saying that REVPAR rose 4.1% worldwide with 3.3% growth in the US & Canada. It says that Q1 adjusted net income was $645m and adjusted EPS was 232c…

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.

A number of airlines have suspended flights into Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv after rockets launched from Yemen landed inside the airport on Sunday.

OTHER LEISURE:

OpenAI has announced a new governance plan that will see the company remain under the control of its for-profit board but become a ‘public benefit corporation’.

FINANCE & MARKETS:

The UK and India have signed a trade deal. The CBI says it ‘has always been highly supportive of efforts to sign a comprehensive trade deal with India, with businesses seeing myriad opportunities in the Indian market.’

Sterling up at $1.3340 and €1.1767. Oil higher at $62.73. UK 10 year gilt yield unchanged at 4.51%. World markets mixed yesterday and London set to open around 12 points lower as at 6.30am.

RETAIL WITH NICK BUBB:

• See premium. Reply for sample or to upgrade. Single £395, multiple £695. Limited time offer: PayPal alternative monthly £25 + VAT per sub. Easy in, easy out.