Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands calls off £422m sale to private equity firm Sycamore May 5, 2020 Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands has called off a £422m sale of a majority stake in the lingerie business to private equity firm Sycamore, after the coronavirus crisis sparked a legal battle between the two firms. L Brands said it would focus on navigating the “extremely challenging business environment” rather than “engaging in costly and [...]
BNP Paribas warns on coronavirus hit to 2020 profit May 5, 2020 BNP Paribas warned this morning that its full-year earnings will be impacted by the “major repercussions” caused by the coronavirus crisis, as profit plunged in the first quarter of the year. The French banking giant said net income for 2020 could be about 15 per cent to 20 per cent lower than last year. Net [...]
J Crew files for bankruptcy as coronavirus derails turnaround plan May 4, 2020 J Crew has filed for bankruptcy after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close stores and derailed the retailer’s turnaround plans. Under the terms of the filing, the New York-based clothing brand’s main creditors will take control of the business in exchange for wiping out $1.65bn of debt. Anchorage Capital Group, Blackstone, GSO Capital Partners [...]
BP will not judge National Portrait Gallery award for first time in more than 20 years May 4, 2020 BP will not have a representative on the judging panel for the National Portrait Gallery’s portrait award for the first time in more than 20 years. Campaigners have been pushing for the gallery to cut ties with the oil and gas giant, which will continue to sponsor the award this year. The National Portrait Gallery [...]
Hong Kong recession deepens due to coronavirus pandemic May 4, 2020 Hong Kong’s recession deepened in the first quarter as its economy, which had already been impacted by anti-government protests last year, was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Hong Kong’s economy shrank by 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter. On an annual basis the economy contracted 8.9 [...]
Tate & Lyle suffers slump in demand during coronavirus lockdown May 4, 2020 Tate & Lyle suffered a drop in demand for its products last month due to the closure of restaurants, cinemas and bars. The company said bulk sweetener volume in the US was 26 per cent lower due to reduced out-of-home consumption during coronavirus lockdowns. Meanwhile industrial starch volume was nine per cent lower as demand [...]
Hotel Chocolat secures £25m coronavirus loan as disruption expected until end of 2020 May 4, 2020 Hotel Chocolat announced this morning it has secured a £25m coronavirus large business interruption loan (CLBIL) as it warned that the pandemic could continue to impact trading throughout the rest of 2020. The high street retailer said it had agreed a £35m revolving credit facility with Lloyds Bank, replacing its previous £10m overdraft facility. The [...]
Robot waiters, half the tables, and crossed fingers: How restaurants will reopen after UK lockdown ends May 2, 2020 Robot waiters, staff in masks and two metres between each table. This is what dining out could look like when the UK coronavirus lockdown is eased. At least, for the restaurants that manage to survive. Official government guidance on reopening has been limited so far. However, that could change soon as the Prime Minister said [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: More Londoners consider moving out of capital May 2, 2020 Estate agents have seen an uptick in Londoners considering moving out of the capital as city-dwellers seek more green space and enjoy working from home during the coronavirus lockdown. The latest research by Rightmove showed there has been an increase in Londoners searching for properties outside of the city during the coronavirus lockdown. In total [...]
McDonald’s to reopen for delivery this month May 1, 2020 McDonald’s will reopen some UK restaurants for delivery this month after trialling social distancing measures. The fast food giant will open 15 stores on 13 May, offering a limited menu for delivery only, after successful social distancing trials this week. McDonald’s UK and Ireland chief executive Paul Pomroy said the restaurants selected to reopen will [...]
