Coronavirus: UK economy set for ‘most severe downturn in modern times’ June 10, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has dragged the UK into the “most severe economic downturn in modern times” with the economy set to contract over seven per cent this year, new forecasts suggest. The UK economy is expected to shrink 7.2 per cent in 2020 and is unlikely to fully recover from the impact of Covid-19 until [...]
Brits turn their back on cash during lockdown as contactless payments jump to £957m June 10, 2020 The average Brit has gone 44 days since using cash as new research reveals lockdown has accelerated the pivot to contactless payments. Customer data from Nationwide shows that tap-and-pay transactions have increased 44 per cent since the week of 23 March, when Britain was placed on lockdown. Nationwide members made 78.5m contactless between 23 March [...]
One in seven SME owners using personal savings to keep businesses afloat during pandemic June 10, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic is leading small business owners to take drastic steps to keep their companies afloat, according to a new survey, with one in seven small business owners digging into their own pockets to ensure their business survives. Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK have come under intense pressure during the [...]
Sky announces extra £1.5m funding for small business ads June 10, 2020 Sky has today pledged an additional £1.5m to fund free advertising for small businesses hit by coronavirus. The scheme will provide £10,000 of funding to 150 small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK that have been running for more than a year with fewer than 50 employees. Last month Sky Media, the advertising sales [...]
Britain’s tech sector takes in $5.3bn in first half of 2020 June 10, 2020 The UK’s tech businesses have raised more than $5bn in investment so far this year, despite the impact of coronavirus weighing on funds. Startups across the UK took in $5.3bn between January and May 2020, more than the rest of Europe combined at $4.1bn. Data compiled by Tech Nation and Dealroom showed London commanded the [...]
Government unveils pandemic support package for struggling tech firms June 9, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss will on Wednesday unveil a package of measures designed to help bolster the UK’s tech community, as businesses continue to struggle during the coronavirus pandemic. Jointly supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the measures are aimed at helping [...]
Softbank to lay off 15 per cent of staff at Vision Fund arm June 9, 2020 Softbank is set to cut 15 per cent of jobs at the investment arm which manages its $100bn Vision Fund, following a series of misplaced bets which damaged its overall value. The Vision Fund, which is responsible for taking major stakes on behalf of Softbank in tech startups such Wework and Uber, has a global [...]
Hovis owners set to sell bread brand for up to £150m June 9, 2020 Hovis could reportedly be sold for as much as £150m as its owners look to offload the business later this year. The brand’s biggest shareholder The Gores Group, has hired bankers to sell its controlling 51 per cent stake which it acquired six years ago, according to Sky News. The investment firm is understood to [...]
Goldman Sachs digital brand Marcus pauses applications for savings account June 9, 2020 Goldman Sachs is reportedly pausing new applications for its digital bank’s online savings account, from Wednesday, after a surge in deposits pushed it close to regulatory limits during the pandemic. Executives at the bank are taking steps to manage the growth of the British arm of Marcus, according to Reuters. Marcus has attracted around £21bn [...]
Major mobile networks suffer UK-wide outages June 9, 2020 Customers are experiencing issues with access to their mobile networks, with outages reported across the UK. Those affected include users of Vodafone, O2, EE, Three and Tesco Mobile. Many customers have reported being unable to use the UK mobile networks for voice call connections, though they can still text and use mobile data. Problems surfaced [...]