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Articles by Henry Saker-Clark

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Popeyes plans more UK restaurants as it reaches 100 sites
Business

Popeyes plans more UK restaurants as it reaches 100 sites

Chicken chain Popeyes has said it plans to keep launching new stores at pace across the UK ahead of the opening of its 100th restaurant. The US-founded chain launched in the UK in 2021 but has rapidly grown on the back of soaring consumer demand for fried chicken, particularly boosted by the growing popularity of chicken as a source of protein. Next week, the business, which is backed by private equity firm TDR Capital, will open its 100th location in London Bridge station. The 3,000-square foot site at the busy commuter station will take the business to 27 sites across London. Bosses have said the opening is part of a strategy to target more travel hubs in its continued growth plans. Popeyes has opened 45 restaurants so far this year and expects this to be near 50 by the end of 2025. Tom Crowley, chief executive officer of Popeyes UK, told the PA news agency that there is “no public target” for new restaurants but that he believes it can “keep opening at a similar pace” next year. “We’ve had success across the country as well as in London because I think people have really appreciated the authenticity of the brand,” he said. “We’ve been able to grow quicker than we first anticipated but there are still plenty of opportunities, so I can’t see a reason why we can’t keep opening at a similar pace. “I think there are definitely opportunities in greater London but not just there by any means.” It comes amid a flurry of activity for chicken brands in the UK, partly driven by the launch of a raft of US chains into the UK, including Popeyes. Rival Wingstop UK, which was bought for around £400 million late last year, has also rapidly expanded in recent years, while other competitors including Dave’s Hot Chicken and Chick-fil-A have entered the market. Mr Crowley shrugged off suggestions the UK could be reaching “peak chicken” and said he believes there is still a strong opportunity for further growth. “I often hear this question as to when we will reach peak chicken, but I think continued rise in demand for customers shows that there is plenty of room to grow. “And if you look at the US for example, they have around double the number of chicken restaurants per head than we do here, so there is still potential for more in the market.”

Economic growth predicted to have slowed in third quarter
Politics

Economic growth predicted to have slowed in third quarter

UK economic growth is expected to have slowed further over the third quarter of 2025 ahead of the key autumn Budget, according to economists. Experts have predicted that the Office for National Statistics will report 0.2% growth over the three months to September in their latest update on Thursday morning. It will represent a slowdown after 0.3% in the previous quarter, continuing a notable drop-off after a 0.7% rise in the first three months of the year. The ONS GDP (gross domestic product) figures will be the latest influential set to economic data in the run-up to the Budget on November 26. Rachel Reeves and the Government have been hopeful that stronger economic growth can help increase tax revenues and support Government spending plans. Slow growth or a stagnant economy over the third quarter would present a setback for the Chancellor. Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, has said positive tempo in the economy earlier this year has “tempered” in the second half. He added: “Anticipated weakness in growth is a result of weaker industrial production activity, and primarily weaker oil and manufacturing output. “We expect the construction sector to remain flat on the month, with services activity just about inching higher to end Q3.” Production and manufacturing came under pressure late in the quarter, according to sector PMI data, which flagged an impact from the factory shutdown at Jaguar Land Rover following a major cyber attack. Last week, the Bank of England said the halt to production could have knocked 0.1 percentage points off monthly growth in September. Mr Raja is also among a raft of economists to have forecast that the economy flatlined in September, stalling after 0.1% growth in August. Pantheon Macroeconomics have meanwhile forecast that growth stayed at 0.1% in September. Experts at the organisation indicated that the economy would benefit from retail growth, but would have seen weaker output for accommodation and food services output. Concerns over a slowdown growth have led to predictions from economists that the Bank of England will cut interest rates next month, to 3.75%, and could cut rates deeper than previously expected. Policymakers will also look at the latest inflation data, which will be released next week, when they assess the next vote on interest rates.

Co-op to open or refurbish dozens of stores amid cyber attack recovery
Technology

Co-op to open or refurbish dozens of stores amid cyber attack recovery

The Co-op has said it is pushing forward with a number of new stores and major refurbishments as it bounces back from a damaging cyber attack. The retailer said 50 stores will be opened or re-opened by Christmas as it urged the Government to reform business rates ahead of the autumn Budget. It said reforms will be “vital” to encourage further high street investment as it continues with its own expansion ambitions. The latest slew of openings will take the Co-op’s store openings and refurbishments to more than 200 sites for the latest financial year. It added that the programme will have seen the business invest more than £200 million across the store estate. The Co-op will open 14 new stores, which include it becoming the first permanent retailer at the new Brent Cross Town development in London, five new micro-format ‘on the go’ stores and a new franchise store at Lancaster University. The remainder of the 50 stores will consist of sites which have been closed for a lengthy period to undergo an extensive refurbishment and will re-open with a new look and updated product range. Growth efforts come as the group, which has around 6.9 million member-owners, continues to recover from a major cyber attack. It said in September that the hack, which took place in April, will knock its annual earnings by around £120 million. Meanwhile, it said the cyber attack, which left it with bare shelves and saw data stolen for all its members, impacted on sales by about £206 million. The group said the hackers impersonated workers to trick employees into giving them access to their accounts. They created a copy of one of the firm’s files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install ransomware. On Monday, the group, which runs more than 2,300 food stores, made renewed calls for property tax reform and increased certainty from the Government ahead of the autumn Budget. Shirine Khoury-Haq, Co-op Group chief executive, said: “We’re investing in stores and communities right across the UK because we believe in the future of the high street. “But sustained growth needs certainty. Business rates reform is vital if retailers – especially the 99% who run small stores – are to plan with confidence, protect jobs and keep local economies thriving. “Co-op is showing what’s possible when businesses commit to communities. “The Government now has an opportunity in the autumn Budget to do its part by delivering the reform that’s long been promised – giving every retailer, from small to large, the stability to invest and grow.”