Survive and thrive: Gastropub goes takeout as punters enjoy the bar from afar June 3, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, Heath Ball – owner and landlord at Highgate gastropub The Red Lion & Sun – tells us about his new delivery service, dropping off wine to the park, and the future [...]
McDonald’s to open 22 restaurants for delivery this morning June 2, 2020 McDonald’s will from 11 o’clock this morning reopen 168 drive-thru restaurants across the country, as well as a further 22 for food delivery. Although the drive-thru reopenings are taking place all over the UK as part of McDonald’s plans to reopen all 1,019 of its restaurants by 4 June, the 18 of the 22 restaurants [...]
Card Factory scraps dividend as higher costs hit profit June 2, 2020 Card Factory today scrapped its full-year dividend as higher costs and the ongoing impact of Covid-19 weighed on profit. The figures Card Factory reported revenue of £451.5m for the year to the end of January, up 3.6 per cent year on year. Like-for-like sale dipped 0.5 per cent over the year. Underlying profit before tax [...]
O2 reopening after lockdown with virtual queueing technology June 1, 2020 O2 will reopen its stores across England this month, with new layouts and a virtual queuing system as part of its safety measures during the pandemic. At the so-called future stores, which will open from 15 June, customers will skip queues and instead join a virtual system. They will receive a text when an advisor [...]
Thousands queue as Ikea reopens and pupils return to school June 1, 2020 People have been queuing across the UK to get into Ikea and take children back to school as the government loosened more restrictions implemented due to the coronavirus crisis. As of this morning, primary schools have reopened to pupils in receptions and years one and six, while some retailers like the Swedish store have been [...]
Ted Baker seeks £95m coronavirus rescue raise as it books £80m loss June 1, 2020 Fashion retailer Ted Baker today set out plans to raise £95m in rescue cash to fund its escape from the coronavirus crisis, as it revealed losses amounted to almost £80m last year. Ted Baker, which was hit by a scandal in 2019 after its founder quit over allegations of misconduct, is selling cut-price shares to [...]
Primark set to reopen all English stores on 15 June June 1, 2020 High-street stalwart Primark is seeking to reopen all of its 153 stores in England by 15 June, its owner Associated British Foods said today. The announcement came after the UK government reiterated its “roadmap” for reopening the economy. It said non-essential retailers can open from the middle of this month after a lengthy period of [...]
Losses at UK’s top restaurants jump to £151m June 1, 2020 Losses at the UK’s top 100 restaurants increased to £151m last year, a figure that will only worsen as the industry grapples with the impact of the coronavirus. Figures from accountancy group UHY Hacker Young show a 94 per cent increase in losses, from £78m the year before. The government has tentatively set out plans [...]
Ikea introduces social distancing wardens as it prepares for reopening May 31, 2020 Ikea is introducing social distancing wardens as part of a string of safety measures being implemented ahead of reopening on Monday. The retailer will reopen 19 stores across England and Northern Ireland from tomorrow, with click and collect facilities also opening in a phased approach. Ikea stores in Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland [...]
Pret a Manger set for crucial rent talks with landlords May 31, 2020 Fast food chain Pret a Manger is preparing for rent talks with its landlords in a bid to stave off closing some stores due to the coronavirus crisis. The chain, a favourite of office workers around the UK, is preparing for a shift in footfall in city centres as working patterns shift due to the [...]