UK market research company Datamonitor has reported a £2.5m (€3.7m) pre-tax profit in the year to December 2003 from a £6.6m (€9.7m) loss the year earlier, as cost cutting plans paid off.

CONSIDERING that the makers of Kit Kat went all the way to the European Court to protect their famous slogan, it is ironic that consumers are indeed having a break — from Nestlé Rowntree’s flagship product.

Unsecured borrowing - debt on credit cards, loans and overdrafts - jumped by almost a third during 2003 in the UK, with personal debt now averaging £4,426 (€6,362) per adult.

The sweet-toothed Irish are Europe’s biggest spenders on chocolate, according to research published today.

A British study has found sales of cola are losing out to alternative soft drinks.

MORE people are nibbling their way through the day, a new survey shows.

IMAGE-conscious Irish are spending more and more on haircare — because we’re worth it.

SINGLETONS are splashing out an average of €3,000 a year on alcohol, gourmet food and pamper products such as grooming and cosmetics.

MILLIONS of people around Europe are becoming fed up with the rat race and giving up well-paid jobs and moving home in search of a simple life.

Companies reporting in Britain in the week beginning February 24 include:

THE number of people in Britain with more than £5 million in disposable wealth has doubled in the past five years, according to a report published yesterday.

The market in diet food and drink products is expected to increase to €100bn over the next four years, new research shows.

There are now 4.9 million 'wealthy' individuals in Europe, a report claims.

Sales of annual travel insurance policies look set to be hit as the US terrorist strike puts people off travelling, a market analyst has warned.

High-tech gambling via TV and the Internet is set to explode over the next few years, a report suggested today.