Aug Tracker, costs, tourist taxes, hotels, SBUX, Airbnb, Entain & other:

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

Well, it’s that kind of weather again.

Single digit degrees first thing – when the dog insists on dragging you around the place in order to sniff every plant, lamppost and garden wall – but then twenty plus later in the day and much warmer in direct sun.

Such that you begin to question your resolve when it comes to sticking with short trousers.

And you end up putting on and taking off your pully three, four, five times in the day but there we are, it’s autumn with a bit of sunshine every now and again, what more do you need to know.

Anyway, we’re getting there. It’s Friday tomorrow but today it’s not so, without any further ado, let’s move on to the news:

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AUGUST SALES TRACKER:

NIQ (was CGA) and RSM have released their Hospitality Business Tracker for August saying that managed sales across the UK’s pubs & restaurants rose by a sub-inflation 0.8% on a LFL basis in the month. Managed restaurants (for a change) beat pubs with the former up 2.4% and the latter only managing a 0.5% increase, both LFL, on the month versus the same month last year. The modest growth of 0.8% in August follows on from 1.4% growth in the World Cup impacted month of July, a nominal fall of 0.2% in June, a rise of 0.4% in May, a fall of 0.4% in April and sub-inflation growth of 0.9% in March. Notable the fact that hospitality has not secured real-terms LFL monthly growth since April 2025.

Sub-sectors:

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PUBS & RESTAURANTS:

Christmas menu costs:

Lynx Purchasing reports that ‘fierce competition for available supplies from retailers and food manufacturers could leave restaurants, pubs and cafés asked to pay premium prices for weather-impacted fresh produce.’ MD Rachel Dobson says ‘the extended period of very hot dry weather across the summer has caused considerable problems with food supply.’ She says that ‘many crops were lost altogether’ and adds that ‘retailers and manufacturers whose usual suppliers can’t meet their demand are already very active in the open market, securing whatever they can.’ This will raise prices and increase competition for what supply there is…

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Other news:

Demographics: Think tank The Centre for a Better Britain, which is reported to have links to Nigel Farage and Reform UK, is reported to be set to call for substantial tax cuts for the rich…

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Cask Ale Week, which starts this Thursday, 17th September and runs through to Sunday 27th, should see over 10,000 pubs and hundreds of breweries up and down the country ‘putting the spotlight on cask ale’.

Elsewhere, the MA reports that cask beer sales have fallen sharply over the past year, with fewer pubs stocking the category and volumes down almost 20%. It says sales in value terms are down by a lesser 7.4%….

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US president Donald Trump has announced an import ban on bottled and canned Canadian wines, beer and spirits from 29 September. Many of these products were already the subject of a 50% tariff meaning that a total ban may not make much difference to sales.

COMPANY NEWS:

Reuters reports that Starbucks Corp ‘is weighing the sale of a majority stake in its Japan business in a potential deal that could value the coffee chain’s biggest overseas company-operated ‌market at about $3 billion.’ It quotes ‘two people with knowledge of the matter.’

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The Advertising Standards Authority has banned two BrewDog adverts posted to social media after upholding complaints against Tilray Brands UK, which was promoting 90 minutes of ‘bottomless’ drinking for £19.95…

Raceway Global Holdings, which trades as F1 Arcade, has reported sales up to £47.2m in the year to 28 December 2026, from £31.9m in the prior year. The company reports that pre tax losses rose to £38.2m from £16.2m in FY24. The group says that its ‘loss before tax reflects its continued investment in people and systems to set the business up for success as it rapidly expands globally, both through new sites in the USA and franchise sites internationally.’

Butcombe Group reports that it is ‘strengthening its position in the growing weddings and occasions market with the opening of The Dovecote Barn at The Methuen Arms, a dedicated wedding and events venue which can accommodate parties of up to 100 people.’

HOLIDAYS & LEISURE TRAVEL:

Tourist taxes. The Telegraph, which is owned by right-leaning German company Axel Springer and which appears to put a certain slant on things from time to time, has suggested that the government did not assess the impact on jobs before proposing that the decision as to whether or not to allow overnight levies should be democratised and devolved to local mayors. Local government minister Jim McMahon said it was down to the mayors themselves to assess the impact and to make the decisions…

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Accountant RSM has released Hotstats data showing that ADR across UK hotel rooms rose by 4% in the year to July. ADR in London was up by 3.8%. Occupancy of UK hotels was down slightly from 86.5% to 85.4% in July year-on-year and fell from 90.1% to 88.4% in London….

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Airbnb. Sky News reports on moves to curb Airbnb’s growth into a number of markets saying that the company, which now has over five million hosts, in almost every country across the globe, is now facing more competition with Booking.com now around two thirds the size of Airbnb and others also keen to grow…

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OTHER LEISURE:

The FT reports that cinema chain Vue is considering a London IPO, potentially valuing the cinema chain at up to £1.5bn. Its owners are also reported to be considering a private sale….

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Ladbrokes owner Entain is reported preparing to cut 400 jobs saying that it has started a consultation process that could remove one in five of its 2,000 customer care jobs….

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That took a while. Insider Media reports that ‘a former Hull cinema that suffered bomb damage during WWII is set to reopen today (16 September 2026) following a major restoration project. The 1914 building on Beverley Road in Hull was severely damaged on 17 March 1941 as a result of a Luftwaffe air raid.

FINANCE & MARKETS:

The Bank of England will opine on UK interest rates at 12.00 today. The betting is that the bank will hold rates – though a rise by the end of the year is now looking more than likely.

US president Donald Trump has reacted angrily to the US Fed’s first interest rate rise in three years saying that rates need to be lowered ‘fast’….

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The EU has reached out to Canada to become the block’s first ‘associate member’….

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The ONS has reported that the average house price in London fell by 3.3% in the year to July having fallen by 2.5% in the year to June.

Sterling lower at €1.1668 and $1.3378. Oil down around $3 at $105.63. UK 10 year gilt yield down 5 basis points at 5.32%. World markets mostly better yesterday & London set to open around 17 points better as at 6.30am.

RETAIL WITH NICK BUBB:

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