Rank’s bingo hall operator Mecca helped to lift Rank’s interim profits yesterday, helping to offset faultering performance from its Hard Rock Café chain because of the decline on international tourism.
The group’s Hard Rock Café global chain saw like-for-like sales down 6.3%.
However, exposure to falls on this side of the business was alleviated by the UK public’s enduring love of bingo, which lifted gaming revenues from £209.4m to £231m.
Pre-tax profits were £79.4m (£89.3m), on sales of £680.9m (£645.4m).
Financial Times 07/09/02 page 15
Daily Telegraph 07/09/02 page 33, The Times Business 07/09/02 page 48, The Guardian 07/09/02 page 23
