Revolution Bars sales beat expectations on Eat Out to Help Out boost September 3, 2020 Revolution Bars today reported trading ahead of expectations since venues reopened in July as the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme boosted sales. The bar chain said sales in the eight weeks since reopening were 27.5 per cent lower than the same period last year. However, this was ahead of previous forecasts — based [...]
US private payroll growth falls short in setback for Covid-19 recovery September 2, 2020 US private payrolls increased less than expected in August, marking a major setback in the country’s economy from the coronavirus crisis. Private payrolls rose by just 428,000 jobs last month, according to new figures from the ADP National Employment report. This was well behind the 950,000 increase forecast by economists polled by Reuters. The report, [...]
Ray Kelvin returns to Ted Baker after ‘forced hugging’ scandal September 2, 2020 Ray Kelvin has returned to Ted Baker roughly 18 months after a “forced hugging” scandal caused the fashion guru to step down from the company he founded. In a surprise announcement issued last night Ted Baker said it had signed a “relationship agreement” with Kelvin and had nominated a non-executive director to represent him on [...]
The Gym Group swings to loss following coronavirus closures September 2, 2020 The Gym Group today posted a hefty loss for the first half of the year after the budget gym chain was forced to close all its branches due to the coronavirus outbreak. The figures The Gym Group posted revenue of £37.3m for the first six months of the year, down almost 50 per cent on [...]
Australia plunges into recession as Covid-19 sparks record slump September 2, 2020 Australia has plunged into its first recession in nearly three decades after the coronavirus crisis sparked the country’s worst economic slump on record. Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank seven per cent in the three months to the end of June — the largest fall since records began. It follows a 0.3 per cent fall [...]
Labour peer David Blunkett calls for workers to return to office September 1, 2020 Lord David Blunkett has thrown his weight behind calls for workers to return to the office, urging Brits to “be confident” about getting back to normal life. The Labour peer today warned the government’s stay at home messaging was still resonating with many people. “Getting parents to be confident about their children going to school, [...]
New BBC boss promises ‘urgent reform’ amid pressure over funding September 1, 2020 The new director general of the BBC has promised to keep reforming the public service broadcaster “with urgency” as he faces a fierce debate over its funding model. Tim Davie, who took up the top job today, acknowledged that the corporation faced challenges, but insisted it remained relevant in the modern media landscape. “Overall my [...]
Coronavirus: Government begins to wind down furlough scheme September 1, 2020 Companies using the coronavirus furlough scheme will now have to contribute to workers’ wages as the government begins to wind down its emergency support. The job retention scheme, introduced in March, has paid 80 per cent of salaries for workers on temporary leave, capped at £2,500 per month. From today this will be reduced to [...]
Astrazeneca expands tie-up with Oxford Biomedica for Covid-19 vaccine September 1, 2020 Astrazeneca today said it has expanded its previous agreement with Oxford Biomedica to mass produce a potential vaccine for the Covid-19 virus. Gene and cell therapy firm Oxford Biomedica said the FTSE-listed pharma giant will give it £15m to reserve manufacturing capacity at its plant. Under the terms of the 18-month agreement Astrazeneca could pay [...]
Sweet treats: Cake Box to repay furlough money after rise in sales September 1, 2020 Cake Box today said it will repay the money it received under the government’s coronavirus furlough scheme and pay a special dividend after posting a sharp rise in sales in the last three months. The cream cake specialist said it would hand back £156,000 it had secured and would make no further claims under the [...]
