Which cafes and restaurants are reopening as the coronavirus lockdown lifts? June 10, 2020 After two months of coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s high streets are waking up again. From Pret to Pizza Express, cafes and restaurants across the country are working out how to restart their businesses. So what chains can customers expect to open up again on Monday, when so-called non-essential businesses are allowed to make their long-awaited return? [...]
Two metre social distancing rule ‘would leave many small businesses unable to make profit’ June 10, 2020 Many of the country’s small companies will not be viable unless two metre social distancing rules are relaxed, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has claimed. Ahead of non-essential shops reopening next week, FSB chairman Mike Cherry this afternoon added to pressure on the government to cut the nationwide two metre rule, which has already [...]
Monsoon Accessorize owner buys retailer out of administration, with 545 jobs lost June 10, 2020 Monsoon Accessorize founder Peter Simon has bought the struggling business out of administration, in a move which aims to save both brands but cuts 545 jobs in the process. As a result of the deal, 35 of the company’s stores across the UK will close, resulting in the initial job losses. Simon will try to [...]
Restaurant Group to close 125 sites as it looks to cut costs June 10, 2020 The Restaurant Group has announced plans to close 125 of its sites, as the company seeks to push down rents to weather the financial storm of the coronavirus crisis. The closure, which puts around 3,000 jobs at risk, will mainly impact its Italian-American-themed Frankie & Benny’s chain. It marks a significant cut to the size [...]
Shaftesbury swings to £287m first half loss as coronavirus hits property value June 10, 2020 West End landlord Shaftesbury has swung to a £287m first half loss, as the value of its estate plummeted in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The company, which has a portfolio of restaurants, pubs, shops, and workspaces in central London, said that the store closures brought about by the nationwide lockdown had affected tenants’ [...]
Retailers get ready to reopen – but shoppers may be too scared to visit June 10, 2020 Shops across the country may be preparing to finally reopen their doors next week, but fears are growing that the British public will be too anxious to actually visit them after spending months under coronavirus lockdown. Those concerns have today been laid bare in a survey of more than 1,000 consumers, which suggested many people [...]
Three more Debenhams stores to stay closed when lockdown eases next week, bringing total to 20 June 9, 2020 Debenhams will not reopen three more stores when lockdown restrictions on retailers are eased next week, in a move that will cost around 300 jobs. The news brings the tally of Debenhams outlets that will stay closed next week to 20. It comes after the retailer failed to agree terms with the landlord, embattled shopping [...]
IBM ditches facial recognition tech business amid racial profiling concerns June 9, 2020 Computing giant IBM has called time on its facial recognition business, after saying that it opposes the use of technology for racial profiling and mass surveillance. IBM chief execuvite Arvind Krishna said the company will no longer sell facial recognition services, as it seeks to “advance racial equality”. In a letter to members of US [...]
Retailers suffer ‘another month of struggle’ in May amid coronavirus lockdown June 9, 2020 Retailers endured a second consecutive monthly drop in sales in May, as the high street continued to suffer from the effects of the coronavirus lockdown. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said sales fell 5.9 per cent last month compared to May 2019. The monthly health check found record growth in online sales, as retailers continued [...]
Bellway cautious on trading after coronavirus lockdown forces house sales down June 9, 2020 British housebuilder Bellway sold about 1,000 fewer homes between August and May, after it closed its centres because of the coronavirus lockdown. The Newcastle-based company, which has restarted construction activity on around 230 sites, warned this morning that it expects sales activity to be “severely constrained”, driving shares down 2.7 per cent. Bellway sold 6,721 [...]
