Godfather of Sudoku: Maki Kaji dies aged 69 after battle with cancer August 17, 2021 Sudoku creator Maki Kaji, whose life’s work was spreading the joy of puzzles, has died aged 69. He had bile duct cancer. Known as the Godfather of Sudoku, Kaji created the puzzle to be easy for children and others who did not want to think too hard. Its name is made up of the Japanese [...]
Ocado sales dip as pre-pandemic habits return, supermarket data finds August 17, 2021 The UK’s return to normality has been accompanied by a return to pre-pandemic shopping habits, with online and overall grocery sales declining. The latest grocery market share figures from Kantar for the period ending 8 August show that grocery sales fell by four per cent. The latest twelve weeks saw the lowest level of online [...]
The City will bounce back: Royal Exchange owners on the future of retail August 17, 2021 Is London over? There are plenty of doom-mongers ready to make that case after the pandemic flipped the world on its head. But for answers, it helps sometimes simply to follow the money. Two new skyscrapers approved recently for the City of London and occupancy increasing at pre-existing buildings like 22 Bishopsgate bode well. And [...]
Cinderella may be sold to an American investor August 16, 2021 Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he will have to sell his musical Cinderella to an American investor if it is not able to open. Last month the world premiere of the new show was postponed until 25 August because of Covid-19 isolation protocols. According to media reports, Lord Lloyd-Webber said the production “can’t go on [...]
Hostelworld revenue dives against restrictions but travellers begin to return August 11, 2021 Online travel agent Hostelworld has had its revenue plummet 76 per cent in the past six months, as the group was significantly bruised by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Net revenue fell from €12m in the first half of last year to just €2.9m this year. Total bookings have also sunk by 73 per cent from a [...]
Amazon transfers £8.2bn of UK revenue to Luxembourg, report says August 11, 2021 Amazon has shifted some £8.2bn worth of UK revenues to European tax haven Luxembourg, a new report has claimed, as the ecommerce giant bats off calls for a tax inquiry. The retail heavyweight declared £13.7bn in UK revenues in 2019, however, filings for its UK-based companies said it only reported £5.5bn in sales. The report, [...]
Covid: West End shows halted as self-isolation rules hit theatres August 10, 2021 While the end of lockdown restrictions promised a show-stopping return for the West End, self-isolation troubles mean London theatres are still being forced to put productions on ice. Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jersey Boys and The Lion King have all been forced to cancel performances in recent days after cast or crew members were [...]
Turkish-German airline SunExpress eyes new underserved routes to the UK August 10, 2021 Turkish-German airline SunExpress is looking to expand its route network into the British Isles, in a bid to reap the rewards of the looming post-pandemic travel boom. The budget carrier has issued a what is called a ‘request for proposals’ via Route Exchange, where it can seek different routes. SunExpress only recently announced an additional [...]
Swiss miss: Domino’s bids farewell to Switzerland with final European franchise sale August 9, 2021 Domino’s Pizza Group has sold its last remaining franchises in Europe amid a withdrawal from the Continent to focus on its core UK and Irish markets. The pizza maker said its Swiss business had fetched 300,000 Swiss francs (£300,000) and the deal is expected to be completed this month. It ends a year-long process of [...]
Morrisons partner McColl’s in talks over £30m cash call August 8, 2021 A major UK convenience store group is in talks over a £30m cash call in a bid to accelerate its partnership with supermarket chain Morrisons. McColl’s Retail Group has reportedly started talks with institutional investors about the £30m injection, which would almost match the group’s current £40m market capitalisation. City sources told Sky News that McColl’s chief [...]