JD Wetherspoon boss: Country headed for ‘lockdown by stealth’ with Omicron measures December 13, 2021 JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has said the country seems to be heading towards a “lockdown by stealth” and warned of a potential hit to profits. The pub company warned its first half results may be impacted by an uncertain market, with consumers put off from pub trips after headlines about the Omicron Covid variants [...]
West End ‘extremely concerned about long-term survival’ as new guidance comes into force December 13, 2021 Central London retailers are hopeful eager Christmas shoppers will offset the absence of office workers in the capital this month while warning businesses are running out of cash. New West End Company, which represents 600 brands, restaurants and businesses in the West End, said footfall for the week of 6 December was up three per [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct and House of Fraser empire kicks off £70m share buyback plan December 13, 2021 Retail baron Miek Ashley has announced the start of a £70m share buyback plan for Frasers in an attempt to boost the company’s share price. Bosses at the group, which includes department store House of Fraser and retail chains Sports Direct and Game, said the plan is to reduce the number of shares in circulation. [...]
King’s Cross hotspot for rental growth in city as student demand pushes prices higher December 13, 2021 Real estate experts have said it would take more than a minor setback with Covid variant Omicron to dent the sector’s recovery. The country would have to rewind to a situation like the start of the year, when the vaccine was in its early rollout and working from home was enforced for a long time, [...]
JD Sports appears to relinquish Footasylum in takeover battle with watchdog December 12, 2021 Footwear firm JD Sports seems likely to admit defeat in its clash with the country’s competition watchdog over its proposed takeover of a rival. JD Sports had been looking to buy rival footwear retailer Footasylum but has faced multiple obstacles from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). After a decision from the watchdog, JD was [...]
Fashion brands log legal claims over Visa and Mastercard fees December 12, 2021 Fashion firms are taking legal action over Mastercard and Visa card payment fees More than a dozen brands have filed legal claims over historic charging fees, alleging a breach of competition laws, it was reported by The Telegraph. It comes as Amazon confirmed UK customers will not be able to use Visa credit cards when [...]
Boots looks to sell off aromatherapy brand for ‘tens of millions’ December 10, 2021 Boots is reportedly looking to sell off its Aromatherapy Associates brand for ‘a few tens of millions of pounds’ while it plots its own auction, sources have said. An exact figure is not yet clear, Sky News’ Mark Kleinman first reported. The parent company of the pharmacy chain, which has been a high street staple [...]
Heathrow to employ ‘thousands’ ahead of next summer once Plan B eases December 10, 2021 The newly imposed Covid-19 Plan B have dampened Heathrow’s hopes of securing confidence in travel, as the restrictions weigh on already faltering demand. Demand remains 60 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, despite the US reopening its coveted travel corridor in November. “High level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of [...]
Urgent calls for a ‘lessons learned’ review into impact of pandemic handling on high streets December 10, 2021 The government is facing calls to conduct an “immediate lessons learned” review into how high streets were affected by the handling of the pandemic. An online sales tax should also be introduced and go towards a reduction in business rates for the retailer, the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee agreed. In a [...]
Liberal Democrats call for hospitality support amid ‘unprecedented rates’ of Christmas cancellations December 9, 2021 The Liberal Democrats have written to the government requesting urgent support for hospitality firms impacted by plan B measures. Pubs and restaurants in city centres have been concerned about a drop off in trade during what is usually their busiest time of year, following fresh work-from-home guidance. In a letter to the minister for small [...]