Harry Holmes

Brighton, London

Contributor at Freelance

Freelance journalist

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Articles

VK and Hooch owner Global Brands suffers sales hangover from introduction of lower abv for its alcopops

2 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Sales at VK owner Global Brands have fallen after the group cut the alcohol strength of its alcopops in response to government tax incentives. The producer and distributor reduced the abv of several of its brands, including Hooch, from 4% to 3.4% to take advantage of lower taxes for drinks, with lower abv introduced in the 2023 alcohol duty review. This led to an average £4 reduction in sale price for a case of 24 bottles, Global Brands MD Julian Atkins told The Grocer.
Large food manufacturers at their most confident in a decade, says BDO survey

2 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Large food businesses are feeling their most confident in a decade with profits on the up and more growth expected, a survey by consultancy firm BDO has found. BDO surveyed 100 UK food and drink manufacturers with a turnover of between £10m and £300m, finding 95% feel confident about the prospects for their business. This is up from 70% a year ago. This isn’t just blind optimism, said BDO, with almost two-thirds of respondents seeing orders increase in the past 12 months.
Brits put brakes on spending as retail growth slows

2 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Retail spending growth has slowed to its slowest rate so far this year with Brits holding back on ‘non-essential’ items due to concerns over the economy. Retail sales rose just 1% in May compared to the same month last year, the lowest rate in 2025 and below this year’s 2.5% average, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Food was the main driver of growth with sales up 3.6%, supported by a run of bank holidays and seasonal events including football tournaments.
Poundland eyeing rent cuts in bid to save costs, says report

2 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Poundland is reportedly considering a plan to force through steep rent cuts on its properties in a last-ditch attempt to cut costs. Hundreds of stores have been earmarked for rent reductions in an attempt by Pepco, the retailer’s parent company, to shore up its balance sheet amid an attempt to find a buyer for the struggling chain, according to the Telegraph. The contest is said to have narrowed to a two-horse race, with Hilco and Gordon Brothers the on the final shortlist.
Basket crowdfunding £2m to roll out AI shopping assistant

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Basket, an AI-powered shopping assistant backed by BrewDog co-founder James Watt, is looking to crowdfund £2m to help roll out its platform “redefining online retail”. Basket allows users to consolidate products from different online retailers into a single shopping cart, delivering real-time price drop alerts, stock updates and AI-powered recommendations.
B&M’s share price down 16% after recognition of poor performance

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

B&M’s share price is down 16% since it admitted on Wednesday that it could have done better amid shrinking profits. The retailer’s underlying earnings grew just 1% to £620m after the company issued a profit warning in February, downgrading its EBITDA guidance range to between £605m and £625m. Group revenue rose 3.7% to £5.6bn, primarily driven by new store openings and a strong performance in France.
Fever Tree’s US expansion undeterred by Trump’s tariffs

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Fever Tree’s US expansion plans will not be affected by US tariffs as the impact will eventually be mitigated by the onshoring of production inside the country, the business has said Fever Tree sold an 8.5% stake to Molson Coors in January as part of a strategic partnership to allow the brewer to produce, distribute, and sell its drinks across the US.
B&M admits it must do better as profits slump

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

B&M conceded its performance “could have been better” last year as both profits and like-for-like sales took a hit. In B&M’s UK stores, like-for-like sales fell 3.1% in the year to 29 March, although the opening of new stores helped offset the group’s total revenue to rise 3.7% to £5.6bn. Its pre-tax profit fell 13.2% to £431m, due to a depreciation in assets and higher interest and finance costs, the company said.
Northern Monk surge continues but cash remains tight

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

Northern Monk’s sales jumped 18% last year as it sought to kickstart ambitions to become Europe’s biggest craft brewery by 2035. The company’s revenue hit £16.3m in the year to 31 August, up from £13.9m the year before, boosted by strong growth in supermarkets. A new pub in Leeds added over £750k with more openings to come in London, York, and Edinburgh this year. However, inflation and a rise in staff numbers meant pre-tax losses narrowed only slightly to £2m.
WH Smith to complete sale of high street stores within weeks

3 weeks ago | thegrocer.co.uk | Harry Holmes

WH Smith has confirmed it is on track to sell its high street division to the private equity owner of Hobbycraft by the end of the month. The deal will see the WH Smith name disappear from British high streets and be replaced by the TG Jones brand following a £76m deal agreed with Modella Capital in March. In a trading update on Tuesday, WH Smith gave a picture of what the slimmed-down company would look like in the future.