Pub bosses implore January teetotallers to not avoid local after dry Christmas January 5, 2022 Hospitality leaders have called on customers to keep visiting the pub this month, after venues lost out on sales this Christmas. Pubs, particularly in city hotspots, faced waves of cancellations this Christmas while office workers were also instructed to work from home under Plan B Covid measures. Now, bosses have urged customers to keep supporting [...]
Wandsworth sees the highest number of £1m property transactions as buyers desire space January 5, 2022 The leafy borough of Wandsworth has been named as the capital’s hotspot for property transactions of £1m over the last year. The south-west London borough accounted for 11 per cent of high end transactions over the last year, out of a total 6,312 transactions for between £1m and £3m across London. Kensington and Chelsea and [...]
Rightmove reports busiest ever Christmas for home movers January 5, 2022 It was the busiest ever Christmas for those wanting to move home, with buyer demand soaring compared to the same period last year. Property platform Rightmove said buyer demand was up 23 per cent compared to last Christmas, when the pandemic discouraged many movers. The website recorded its highest ever number of new sellers on [...]
Pepco CEO to step down this year due to health reasons January 5, 2022 Poundland owner Pepco has announced its chief executive officer Andy Bond will step down later this year due to health reasons. Pepco Group, which owns discount retailer brands including PEPCO, Poundland and Dealz, said Bond will step down at the end of March. He is expected to stay on the board as an advisor until [...]
Game changer for holidaymakers: Lloyds Pharmacy to start selling take-at-home travel test January 5, 2022 Healthcare firm MyHealthChecked has signed a contract with Lloyds Pharmacy for the supply of at-home rapid Covid tests for individuals wanting to fly abroad. The Fit to Fly antigen tests can be taken at home before travelling, or overseas before returning to the UK, with results verified by a trained professional within two hours. The [...]
Shoppers opted for premium products this Christmas as grocery inflation hit 3.5 per cent January 5, 2022 Grocery sales hit £11.7bn over the Christmas period, as shoppers were keen to make the most of the festive period after Covid restrictions hampered celebrations last year. Shoppers spent record amounts on supermarkets’ premium own brand products, with £627m spent on pricier items over the four weeks to 26 December. This was an increase of [...]
Homebuilder Glenveagh posts rising revenue while warning of labour shortage challenges January 5, 2022 Irish homebuilder Glenveagh Properties has reported rising revenue, up more than a third compared to pre-pandemic levels, as it warns of labour challenges ahead. The residential developer posted a total revenue of €476m for the year ended 31 December 2021, a 64 per cent jump on 2020’s figure. Revenue was also up 36 per cent [...]
Bosses call for Covid isolation period to be cut as health agency warns this could be ‘counterproductive’ January 4, 2022 Iceland boss Richard Walker has called for the isolation period for Covid patients to be slashed to mitigate staff absences. Absences at the supermarket chain have risen more than 70 per cent in a week, jumping from 1,000 to more than 1,700, the managing director tweeted. The isolation period is set at a minimum of [...]
Nike world’s most valuable apparel firm, behind Gucci and Louis Vuitton January 4, 2022 Nike has been rated as the world’s most valuable apparel firm despite its recent challenges with its supply chain amid Covid restrictions. The US firm hit a $30.44bn valuation in 2021, data presented by Finance PR has highlighted. The footwear and clothing giant reported pandemic-related supply chain challenges last year, after it was forced to [...]
Mortgage approvals flatline in wake of stamp duty holiday January 4, 2022 The number of mortgages approved in November last year exceeded expectations, despite dropping slightly compared to the previous month. Some 66,964 mortgages were approved in November 2021, according to fresh data published by the Bank of England this morning. Although November was down on October’s figure of 67,103 the number of approvals exceeded real estate [...]