Ex-government minister Justine Greening joins On the Beach board March 5, 2021 Former government minister Justine Greening has joined the board of online travel agent On the Beach. Greening, who was the Conservative MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields between 2005 and 2019, has been appointed as a non-executive director with immediate effect. On the Beach said her experience in Westminster will help it navigate the “major” [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group says business rates support ‘near worthless’ for large retailers March 5, 2021 Mike Ashley’s retail empire Frasers Group has warned that the business rates support available from July is “near worthless” for large firms, saying it could be forced to close stores. The chancellor announced on Wednesday that the 100 per cent business rates relief would be extended to 30 June, with 66 per cent relief available [...]
Boohoo urged to link bonuses to workers’ rights and sustainability improvements March 5, 2021 The chairman of fast fashion retailer Boohoo has been urged to link its bonus scheme for senior executives to improvements on workers’ rights and sustainability. MPs have written to Mahmud Kamani asking him to update the Environmental Audit Committee on the firm’s progress on its environmental and social responsibilities, and welcomed the “positive steps” it [...]
Decline in fashion sales slows as online shoppers prepare for lockdown lifting March 5, 2021 The decline in fashion retail sales slowed last month as online shoppers snapped up outfits for the end of the coronavirus lockdown. Total like-for-like sales -including the impact of closed non-essential stores – declined 3.1 per cent in February but fashion and homeware helped drive online sales up 167.3 per cent to a record high. [...]
Prime outer London house prices boom as demand for extra space continues to rise March 5, 2021 House prices in prime outer London boroughs boomed last month as demand for more space has driven suburban property markets in the capital. In the year to February there were 1.1 per cent more transactions in prime outer London than over the previous 12-month period, underlying the strength of activity given the UK property market [...]
Budweiser invests £115m in UK breweries to pour an extra 630m pints a year March 4, 2021 Budweiser has announced plans to invest more than £115m in its two major UK breweries to improve their infrastructure and create jobs. The beer firm, which is part of drinks giant AB Inbev, will install modern equipment at its South Wales and Lancashire sites to expand capacity in brewing, canning and bottling. The investment will [...]
Amazon opens first contactless grocery store in London March 4, 2021 Amazon has opened a contactless bricks and mortar grocery store in London – the first physical shop the tech giant has launched outside of the US. The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing will carry a private UK food brand dubbed “by Amazon”, and will let consumers skip the checkout queue. Shoppers will scan a smartphone [...]
Revolution Bars expects boom in demand as it prepares to reopen 20 sites next month March 4, 2021 Revolution Bars announced this morning that it expects a boom in demand when it is able to resume trading, as it revealed plans to reopen 20 branches when hospitality firms can begin outdoor service next month. The bar chain will reopen 20 sites from 12 April and it is planning to open the rest of [...]
B&M ups earning expectations after strong lockdown trading March 4, 2021 Discount retailer B&M this morning upped its earnings expectations following a strong performance during the latest coronavirus lockdown. The chain said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for this financial year will be between £590m to £620m. The latest forecast accounts for the voluntary payment of business rates, amounting to around £80m. It [...]
Waitrose opens new London warehouse in online delivery push March 4, 2021 Waitrose has opened a new London warehouse in partnership with Wincanton in a bid to boost its online delivery capacity. The supermarket, which last year ended its partnership with Ocado, said the warehouse in Greenford will deliver 25,000 orders each week and employ an extra 800 staff when it opens fully later this year. That [...]
