Shoppers opted for premium products this Christmas as grocery inflation hit 3.5 per cent January 5, 2022 Grocery sales hit £11.7bn over the Christmas period, as shoppers were keen to make the most of the festive period after Covid restrictions hampered celebrations last year. Shoppers spent record amounts on supermarkets’ premium own brand products, with £627m spent on pricier items over the four weeks to 26 December. This was an increase of [...]
Desperate travel sector demands all international Covid testing requirements are scrapped immediately January 5, 2022 All testing requirements for international travellers should be abolished immediately, the travel industry said this morning. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and Airlines UK said research they commissioned into travel restrictions found domestic, not international, restrictions would be the only way to reduce the spread of Omicron. Pre-departure and day two PCR testing were reintroduced in [...]
Four in five Brits see cost of living such as grocery and energy bills rise with many having to dip into savings January 5, 2022 More than four in five (82 per cent) people have seen their living costs such as grocery or energy bills and day-to-day essentials increase in the past few months, a survey has found. As a result, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) have dipped into savings, a fifth (19 per cent) said they have changed [...]
Holiday notspot: Cyprus brings in harsher travel rules for UK arrivals January 4, 2022 Cyprus has introduced new travel rules for British travellers entering the country including daily tests and self-isolation on arrival.
Bosses call for Covid isolation period to be cut as health agency warns this could be ‘counterproductive’ January 4, 2022 Iceland boss Richard Walker has called for the isolation period for Covid patients to be slashed to mitigate staff absences. Absences at the supermarket chain have risen more than 70 per cent in a week, jumping from 1,000 to more than 1,700, the managing director tweeted. The isolation period is set at a minimum of [...]
From price inflation and Brexit rows to Evergrande and Biden v Putin: Here are the market risks to watch this year January 4, 2022 The world is a pretty turbulent and unpredictable place at the moment, with Covid variants not making life easier. From tensions between Russia and the US over Ukraine’s NATO membership to Brexit conflicts and China’s Evergrande property scandal, 2022 is set to become everything but dull. So what developments and issues could disrupt or disturb [...]
Nike world’s most valuable apparel firm, behind Gucci and Louis Vuitton January 4, 2022 Nike has been rated as the world’s most valuable apparel firm despite its recent challenges with its supply chain amid Covid restrictions. The US firm hit a $30.44bn valuation in 2021, data presented by Finance PR has highlighted. The footwear and clothing giant reported pandemic-related supply chain challenges last year, after it was forced to [...]
Strict new Brexit transport rules make UK businesses ‘give up’ on EU imports: ‘Simply not worth the hassle’ January 4, 2022 Many British businesses may “give up importing” as a result of new strict rules that came into force on Saturday, on 1 January, a former senior civil servant in charge of Brexit planning has warned. Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) between 2017 and 2019, said [...]
Savile Row tailor placed into liquidation as quest for buyer fails January 4, 2022 The parent company behind London’s iconic men’s tailor Gieves & Hawkes has been put into liquidation after failed attempts to woo potential buyers. FTI Consulting and R&H Services have been appointed as joint liquidators for the 250-year-old brand, alongside its sister brands Kent & Curwen and Cerutti, according to The Times newspaper. The newspaper reported [...]
Post-Christmas slump: UK shopper numbers fall 15 per cent in a week January 3, 2022 UK shoppers shirked the high street in the week following Christmas as concerns about the the rapid spread of omicron continued to bite.