Consumers may be nervous about their finances, but spending on easy dinners at home shows no sign of slowing. Deliveroo took 43.1m orders in the UK and Ireland in the final three months of last year, 5 per cent more than a year earlier. And the total cost of baskets plus delivery fees jumped 9 per cent to £1.2billion.
The delivery group has extended its reach to work with retailers such as B&Q, The Perfume Shop and Ann Summers. Its shares closed up 6.6 per cent, or 8.5p, at 137.9p. Bakkavor’s UK sales grew 5.2 per cent in 2024 as prices showed signs of recovery. The supplier of ready meals to Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s now expects annual profit to be at least as good as the most optimistic analyst.
Bakkavor shares, hit hard since Christmas by mounting concern about the economy, recouped a further 4.2 per cent, or 6p, to 149p. A poor performance by the UK economy in November cemented expectations of a cut interest rates. That cooled bond yields further and supported shares.
Delivery group Deliveroo took 43.1m orders in the UK and Ireland in the final three months of last year, 5% more than a year earlier. The FTSE 100 rose 1.09 per cent, or 90.77 points, to 8,391.9 on a day dominated by company results. The FTSE 250 continued to rally from its worst week in more than a year, recouping another 0.95 per cent, or 194.08 points, at 20,527.70.
