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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Whitbread plans price rises to pay for living wage | Whitbread plans price rises to pay for living wage |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Whitbread, the owner of Premier Inn and Costa Coffee, says it plans to increase prices as it prepares to introduce the national living wage. | Whitbread, the owner of Premier Inn and Costa Coffee, says it plans to increase prices as it prepares to introduce the national living wage. |
| The company said it would also "mitigate this substantial cost increase" by increasing productivity and cutting costs. | The company said it would also "mitigate this substantial cost increase" by increasing productivity and cutting costs. |
| It plans to announce more details later next month. | It plans to announce more details later next month. |
| The company also said on Tuesday that sales continued to rise at both businesses. | The company also said on Tuesday that sales continued to rise at both businesses. |
| Like-for-like sales at Premier Inn rose 4.3% in the 11 weeks to 13 August, with a 4% rise at Costa. | Like-for-like sales at Premier Inn rose 4.3% in the 11 weeks to 13 August, with a 4% rise at Costa. |
| Overall like-for-like sales were up 3.3% in the period. | Overall like-for-like sales were up 3.3% in the period. |
| Expansion | Expansion |
| However, the company said that trading across its brands was weaker than expected in August compared with an "excellent month" in 2014. | However, the company said that trading across its brands was weaker than expected in August compared with an "excellent month" in 2014. |
| However, Andy Harrison, chief executive of Whitbread, said it was on track to meet both full-year expectations and the company's growth targets. | However, Andy Harrison, chief executive of Whitbread, said it was on track to meet both full-year expectations and the company's growth targets. |
| It plans to open about 5,500 rooms in the UK, some 220 net new Costa stores worldwide and to install 700 to 800 new Costa Express machines. | It plans to open about 5,500 rooms in the UK, some 220 net new Costa stores worldwide and to install 700 to 800 new Costa Express machines. |
| Whitbread also owns the Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns restaurant chains, where like-for-like sales rose 0.6%. | Whitbread also owns the Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns restaurant chains, where like-for-like sales rose 0.6%. |
| The weak increase was blamed on a "soft pub restaurant market outside the M25". | The weak increase was blamed on a "soft pub restaurant market outside the M25". |
| Shares in Whitbread fell 2.4% to £45.97 in early trading on Tuesday. The FTSE 100 member is worth £8.5bn. |