Diageo to launch plastic-free Johnnie Walker bottles in 2021 July 13, 2020 Drinks giant Diageo will sell Johnnie Walker whisky in plastic-free bottles from next year as it seeks to reduce waste. The company announced this morning that it had created the fully recyclable bottle wood pulp that meets food grade standards in partnership with venture management firm Pilot Lite. The two firms launched a sustainable packaging [...]
Quiz suspends supplier after Leicester factory exploitation claims July 13, 2020 Fashion brand Quiz has suspended one of its suppliers after reports that the supplier was failing to pay workers at a factory in Leicester the minimum wage. Over the weekend, an investigation by the Times found that the supplier had offered employees just £3 an hour to make clothes for the brand. The minimum wage [...]
High street footfall suffers even as retail starts to reopen July 13, 2020 The woes of the British high street continued as June footfall dropped to less than half the level of last year, even as stores started to reopen. June saw an annual decline of 56.6 per cent in June, according to data from retail intelligence firm Springboard, but it was a marked improvement on the year-on-year [...]
Primark set to reject Treasury’s furlough bonus payment July 12, 2020 Primark will reportedly reject a £30m bonus handout unveiled in the Chancellor’s summer statement. The retailer has said it will not claim the £1,000 payment for every worker it brings back from furlough, according to the Sunday Times. Last night gambling firm William Hill also reportedly indicated it would also reject the furlough bonuses worth [...]
Pub-goers opt for pints on first weekend back but sales still fall short July 10, 2020 Consumers returning to pubs and bars last weekend seemed to be thirsting for their first pint of beer as lockdown restrictions eased in England, but sales still fell short. Beer sales held up best over the weekend of 4 and 5 July, according to data firm CGA’s new Drinks Recovery Tracker. However they were [...]
Standard Life Aberdeen offloads Boohoo stock over Leicester factory scandal July 10, 2020 Investment giant Standard Life Aberdeen has dumped its entire stake in fast fashion firm Boohoo after the retailer was caught up in a scandal over low pay and poor conditions for factory workers. Boohoo launched an independent review of its UK supply chain following allegations of poor working practices and underpayment of workers at a [...]
The Gym Group loses a fifth of its members as it prepares to reopen July 10, 2020 The Gym Group lost one in five of its members since lockdown started, it said today, as it gets ready to reopen most of its gyms on 25 July. The hit to its numbers came despite the group freezing all membership payments during lockdown. It has around 692,000 remaining customers. The low-cost gym firm said [...]
Most Brits still ‘uncomfortable’ dining out in restaurants July 10, 2020 Most Brits are still uncomfortable with sitting indoors at a restaurant due to fears over the spread of coronavirus, according to a new survey. Alongside pubs and bars, restaurants were allowed to reopen on 4 July after months in lockdown. But the latest survey by the Office for National Statistics found that six in 10 [...]
Carlsberg expects better than forecast profit as China trade bounces back July 10, 2020 Danish brewer Carlsberg said today that it expects to suffer a smaller drop in profit than previously forecast after trade in China bounced back after the coronavirus lockdown. The firm said it expects a nine per cent drop in operating profit in the second quarter compared to analyst forecasts of a 26 per cent decline. [...]
UK retailers warn shoppers face price hikes if no EU trade deal agreed July 10, 2020 Britain’s retail industry has warned that consumers could face higher prices next year if the UK is unable to reach a tariff-free EU trade deal. The British Retail Consortium said the industry could not absorb the additional costs of tariffs, meaning the hike in prices would be passed on to consumers whose finances have already [...]