Covid: ‘No substantial outbreaks’ following mass events trial June 25, 2021 No substantial outbreaks of Covid-19 were recorded following the first part of a government trial to test mass events, a new report has found. Over 58,000 people attended nine pilot events in April and May, including a club night in Liverpool, the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Brit Awards at the O2. Just [...]
Half of UK festivals now cancelled as insurance pleas mount June 25, 2021 More than half of UK festivals planned for this summer have now been cancelled due to ongoing uncertainty about coronavirus restrictions. Industry body the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) today said it estimates that 51 per cent of all festivals with more than 5,000 attendees have been called and warned the sector was at a [...]
Co-op introduces support for staff affected by pregnancy loss June 25, 2021 Co-op has introduced new measures to support its employees and their partners that have been affected by pregnancy loss. Created in partnership with the Miscarriage Association, the new dedicated pregnancy loss policy was designed to support employees affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, embryo transfer loss, molar pregnancy and termination of pregnancy for any reason. Co-op’s announcement [...]
London risks lost summer unless vaccinated foreign tourists can bypass quarantine, businesses warn June 25, 2021 London risks lost summer unless vaccinated foreign tourists can bypass quarantine, businesses warn
Ocado settles espionage spat with its founder Jonathan Faiman after ‘significant payment’ June 25, 2021 Ocado said today it has settled a legal dispute with its co-founder and a former employee after accusations they secured confidential documents from the online retail firm while they set up a competitor. Ocado Group said Jonathan Faiman, who co-founded the business and exited in 2008, and Jon Hillary, one of its longest-serving employees before [...]
Online retailer CMO eyes £100m AIM listing in bid to disrupt building materials market June 25, 2021 Online-only building materials firm CMO is set to list on London’s AIM market next month, the company announced this morning. City A.M. understands that the Plymouth-headquartered outfit is likely to fetch a valuation of around £100m. CMO will be looking to follow in the footprints of fellow home improvement retailers Victorian Plumbing, which listed on [...]
Small businesses battered by Covid restrictions see return to pre-pandemic sales June 24, 2021 Small businesses are seeing their sales slowly creep back toward pre-Covid levels, but sectors such as hospitality and arts and recreation still have a way to go. An analysis of the records of hundreds of thousands of companies shows that the health of small businesses has remained steady. However, despite the easing of lockdown restrictions [...]
Kate Middleton’s favourite maternity brand gears up for £61m IPO June 24, 2021 Seraphine, known for being Kate Middleton’s go-to maternity brand, is gearing up for a £61m float on the London Stock Exchange. The group, which will float on the main market of the LSE and is expected to IPO next month, intends to use approximately £16m of proceeds to repay its existing term loan and to [...]
Lidl heads for Hampstead: Discounter eyes London sites in major expansion plan June 24, 2021 Lidl is plotting an expansion into well-heeled districts including Hampstead and Knightsbridge as part of a plan to increase store numbers in the capital. The German discount retailer plans to have 1,000 stores in its portfolio by the end of 2023, with the supermarket eyeing areas in town centres, edge of town centre locations, retail [...]
Poundland owner Pepco increases earnings as store openings outpace pandemic June 24, 2021 Pepco Group, owner of discount retailer Poundland, has reported a 16.8 per cent increase in core earnings in the six months to 31 March, as revenue growth from new store openings offset the impact of pandemic restrictions. The group, which is listed in Poland and also owns the PEPCO and Dealz brands in Europe, trades from more than [...]