Hospitality chiefs call for more clarity as ‘freedom day’ set for delay June 14, 2021 The owner of the Franco Manca Pizza chain David Page has warned the “lack of concrete delay” to the government’s lockdown easing roadmap is the biggest problem facing the hospitality sector. Boris Johnson is expected to announce a four week delay to so-called “freedom day” later today, just a week before the 21 June date [...]
Ted Baker turnaround slows, swallowing £278m revenue loss and sales dive June 14, 2021 Covid-19 restrictions curbed customer footfall and bag sizes, which has sent ripples through fashion brand Ted Baker over the last year as it invested in pandemic turnaround measures. The brand swallowed a revenue loss of £278.5m in the year to 30 January, down 44 per cent as it bagged £352m in total. Ted Baker also [...]
End of the party: A quarter of nightclubs set to close due to roadmap delay June 14, 2021 A quarter of nightclubs across the UK could shut permanently if the next stage of easing lockdown restrictions is delayed by another four weeks. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which represents clubs and bars across the country, said one in four businesses will not survive longer than a month without additional financial support. Half [...]
Meal kits firm Dishpatch rustles up £10m in funding round June 13, 2021 A meal kits provider that offers dishes from top London restaurants including Ottolenghi has raised £10m in a fresh funding round. Dishpatch, which was founded during lockdown last year, secured the backing from Andreessen Horowitz and Local Globe. Entrepreneurs including Bloom & Wild boss Aron Gelbard, Trouva’s Mandeep Singh and Songkick co-founder Ian Hogarth also [...]
Theatres set the stage for state-backed insurance scheme June 13, 2021 Theatre grandees are said to be on the brink of striking a deal with the government for a state-backed insurance scheme enabling performances to go ahead. Top West End figures have an agreement in principle from culture secretary Oliver Dowden for a taxpayer-backed indemnity programme, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The plans have now been passed [...]
JD Sports under fire for ‘inappropriate’ chairman bonus June 13, 2021 JD Sports is facing fierce criticism for paying bonuses to executive chairman Peter Cowgill despite taking tens of millions of pounds in government support. In a damning report shareholder advisory service Glass Lewis recommended that investors vote against the company’s “inappropriate” pay policy. It also said shareholders should oppose Cowgill’s reelection due to inadequate succession [...]
Will rapid delivery apps maintain post-pandemic momentum? June 12, 2021 Since the pandemic began, a slurry of quick delivery apps have emerged with the same promise to deliver food within 30 minutes, while the pandemic made supermarkets an even more costly chore. The pandemic pushed the pedal on rapid delivery apps like Weezy, Dija, Getir and Gorillas – a sector where a huge amount of [...]
Euro 2020: Less than one in three Brits plan to watch the football in a pub June 11, 2021 Less than a third of Brits plan to watch the Euro 2020 football tournament in a pub over the coming weeks despite the easing of restrictions, according to a new survey. Boozers are gearing up for a major boost to business as fans flock to their local for the delayed footie extravaganza. Yet pubs may [...]
Fossil fuel fashion: half of clothing made from non-recycled plastic, think tank says June 11, 2021 Half of fast-fashion items sold by online brands like Boohoo and Missguided, are made solely from non-recycled plastics, a think-tank has said today. Think tank Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) urged the government to impose a new tax on such clothing made from non-recycled plastic like polyester. Income from the suggested clothing [...]
Cheers! Naked Wines sales surge 68 per cent on strong US performance June 11, 2021 Naked Wines has been one of the few winners during the pandemic, reporting a surge in both customers and sales off the back of a strong performance in the US. With pubs and bars shut for most of the year, the online wine retailer reported a 68 per cent increase in annual sales to £340.2m. [...]