Rain rain go away: Wettest May on record dampens footfall hopes for high streets June 3, 2021 The reopening of indoor dining and socialising did not serve up the hoped for rise in footfall in May, as shoppers were put off by rain and ‘rule of six’ limitations. The wettest May on record saw footfall on high streets, in shopping centres and in retail parks fall versus the same period in 2019. [...]
Mayfair restaurant Le Gavroche shuts for lunch indefinitely, citing Brexit-driven staffing shortage June 2, 2021 Mayfair restaurant Le Gavroche will only open for dinner service until further notice, with the restaurant highlighting a “major” lack of well-trained hospitality staff due to a combination of Brexit and the pandemic. From 14 June, the two Michelin-starred restaurant owned by French celebrity chef Michel Roux will only open from 5pm onwards, meaning punters [...]
Some 4.4 million Londoners have received at least one Covid jab June 2, 2021 Just more than 4.4 million people in London have received at least one dose of a vaccine against Covid-19, while 2.6 million Londoners have received both doses. The latest figures from London show than more than seven million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the capital since the start of the vaccine [...]
A post-pandemic high street must be experience-led, says Geek Retreat CEO June 2, 2021 In a post-pandemic world, the high street needs to offer customers something more experiential – something online giants like Amazon can’t offer – the CEO of ‘geek culture’ store Geek Retreat has said. Geek Retreat, the retailer that sells everything from comics and graphic novels to action figures, and also offers customers access to gaming [...]
Brits borrowed billions in April as housing market boomed June 2, 2021 Mortgage borrowing hit £3.3bn in April as house prices rose at their fastest rate in five years, a trend driven largely by the extension of the stamp duty holiday. April’s mortgage borrowing was significantly lower than March’s £11.5bn figure, however, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England, despite mortgage approvals hitting 86,900, [...]
BlackRock takes over £21bn of BA pension scheme assets June 2, 2021 British Airways has handed the management of £21bn worth of pension assets to Blackrock in a bespoke deal between the airline and the asset manager. The agreement encompasses the assets directly under management for BA’s Airways Pension Scheme (APS) and New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS), which serve 85,000 members and until now have been managed [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher signs £550m credit deal linked to sustainable targets June 2, 2021 Kingfisher has signed a £550m three-year credit deal that will see it benefit from a lower interest rate on the loan if it delivers specific targets to help tackle climate change. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix, has updated its climate change targets to reduce emissions by 2026 in a way that will not contribute to [...]
Canaccord Genuity UK records £30bn assets under management for the first time June 2, 2021 Assets under management (AUM) at Canaccord Genuity has topped £30bn for the first time after a year of growth at the business. At 31 March 2021, the wealth manager in the UK and Europe had client assets of £30.2bn, an increase of a third from £22.7bn at the end of the 2020 financial year, and [...]
Food could be about to get more expensive after more muted price falls in May June 2, 2021 Prices in shops fell again in May, as bargain hunters benefitted from lower prices, however price rises could be on the cards in the near future, the BRC has warned. Shop prices fell 0.6 per cent year-on-year last month, marking the slowest rate of price declined since February 2020. On average, in the last six [...]
Save the quintessential British pub by lowering beer duty, MPs urge June 2, 2021 A cross-parliamentary group of MPs has urged the government to reduce tax burdens on pubs and brewers, to help them get back on their feet after a particularly difficult year for hospitality. The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG), which is made up 16 MPs from various parties, has urged the government to consider lowering duty, [...]
