It’s 2020 — why are we still debating whether period products are essential? October 27, 2020 On Monday, while alcohol was vital enough to feature in a Tesco branch only providing essential items in Cardiff, period products were nowhere to be found. The supermarket giant explained to a confused customer on Twitter that period products simply weren’t considered essential enough to be stocked for the duration of the fire break lockdown [...]
New Mondrian hotel gives boost to London’s tourism industry October 26, 2020 Hospitality giants Accor and SBE have delivered a vote of confidence to the beleaguered UK tourism sector, announcing plans to convert Shoreditch’s The Curtain hotel into a stylish new Mondrian. The 120-room hotel, which will undergo a comprehensive redesign, will open in the spring. It will be the sixth Mondrian globally and the first European [...]
Deserted city centres slowing Britain’s job recovery, research finds October 26, 2020 Deserted high streets and city centres are hurting Britain’s jobs recovery, with urban areas including central London suffering the steepest declines in vacancies. The latest research showed that seven months on from the introduction of the nationwide lockdown, work opportunities have failed to return to pre-pandemic levels across major UK towns and cities. London has [...]
Clarks kicks off restructuring talks with landlords October 26, 2020 High street footwear retailer Clarks has begun negotiations with landlords over store closures and rental agreements as it prepares to launch a restructuring plan. Clarks and its advisors will meet with retail property owners this week to discuss a company voluntary arrangement, which would allow the retailer to move to a “turnover rent” model linked [...]
Diageo snaps up Chase Distillery as it cashes in on gin boom October 26, 2020 Diageo today said it has agreed to buy British gin and vodka maker Chase Distillery, marking the drinks giant’s latest effort to strengthen its gin portfolio. The Herefordshire-based distillery is best known for its Chase GB Gin, as well as its Chase Original Potato Vodka. In total the company’s portfolio includes seven gins, four vodkas [...]
Marks & Spencer ramps up online capacity ahead of ‘most digital Christmas yet’ October 26, 2020 Marks & Spencer is ramping up its online delivery capacity in the run up to what it said will be “the most digital Christmas yet”. M&S, which said festive-related searches are up 80 per cent on last year, will add more than 500 Christmas temporary employees. The new seasonal workers will be employed in addition [...]
Boots launches private Covid-19 testing service October 26, 2020 Boots has launched a private coronavirus testing service for people without symptoms to check their Covid-19 status before travelling or visiting friends and family. The new service, which will cost £120 per test, will launch in 10 stores across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow this week before rolling out to 50 Boots stores next [...]
Online retailer The Hut Group hikes full-year revenue guidance October 26, 2020 Online retailer The Hut Group (LON:THG) said revenue this year will be stronger than previously anticipated as it entered the crucial Christmas trading period, with Black Friday expected to boost sales. THG, which raised £1.88bn when it listed on the London Stock Exchange last month, this morning raised full-year 2020 revenue guidance to between £1.48bn [...]
Westminster City Council scraps plans to charge for pavement space October 23, 2020 Westminster City Council has scrapped plans to charge hospitality firms thousands of pounds to keep trading outside through the coming months. Earlier today City A.M. revealed that the Council was set to charge businesses £7 per square metre of outside space, per day, once the existing ‘al fresco’ scheme comes to an end on October [...]
New covid rules mean ‘don’t bother opening’ says Mark Hix October 23, 2020 I’m presently sitting in my fish truck in Lyme Regis, where I’ve been since the crack of dawn so I can get the best produce straight from the local fishermen. It’s a far cry from the life I had this time last year, when I might have been preparing the staff at Hix Soho for [...]