High street footfall plunges after 10pm hospitality curfew introduced September 28, 2020 High street footfall dropped sharply last week following the introduction of a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants as part of measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Retail footfall has been gradually increasing as coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. However fears over a second wave of the virus prompted the government to impose a [...]
Walmart selects billionaire brothers as preferred bidders for Asda September 28, 2020 US retail giant Walmart has selected a consortium led by the billionaire brothers behind petrol station chain EG Group with private equity firm TDR Capital as the preferred bidder to buy Asda. The deal would value the UK supermarket chain at more than £6.5bn, Sky News reported. The broadcaster said that Mohsin and Zuber Issa, [...]
Queen strips Harvey Weinstein of honorary CBE September 18, 2020 The Queen has stripped disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein of his honorary award after he was found guilty of sexual assault and rape. Weinstein is serving a 23-year prison sentence in the US after he was convicted in February of sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping an actress. He has appealed the [...]
Restaurant sales buoyed by Eat Out to Help Out legacy September 18, 2020 Restaurants continued to enjoy some of the benefits of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme this month as customers felt more comfortable going out for a meal. Diners spent 14 per cent more in restaurants in the first week of September than they did the same week last year after August’s discount scheme gave [...]
London New Year’s Eve fireworks display cancelled due to Covid-19 September 18, 2020 London’s annual New Year’s Eve firework display has been cancelled, the mayor of London has confirmed. Sadiq Khan this morning revealed that the show and countdown, which is held each year by the River Thames, could not go ahead due to safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. “There will not be fireworks at New Year’s [...]
UK retail sales grow for fourth consecutive month September 18, 2020 UK retail sales reached pre-pandemic levels last month, driven by supermarket and home improvement purchases. Retail sales were up 0.8 per cent in August compared to the previous month, which was the fourth consecutive month of growth. UK retail sales were up four per cent compared to February, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. [...]
Easyjet appoints Tui executive as new finance chief September 18, 2020 Budget airline Easyjet has poached an executive from rival firm Tui to become its new chief financial officer. The company has appointed Tui aviation chief executive and business improvement director Kenton Jarvis to replace outgoing finance chief Andrew Findlay. It comes as the airline sector battles the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused [...]
West End footfall bounces back faster than London’s business districts September 17, 2020 Visitor numbers in the West End are recovering faster than London’s business districts, the latest footfall data showed. Parts of the West End have reached more than 50 per cent of pre-Covid movements despite the continued closure of the area’s theatres, boosted by the prevalence of pubs, shops and restaurants. However footfall in the Holborn [...]
Aspinal of London prepares to close stores due to low city centre footfall September 17, 2020 Luxury brand Aspinal of London is the latest retailer to launch a restructuring process as it seeks to close stores due to a sharp drop in city centre footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The firm, which has 10 stores as well as concessions in Harrods and Selfridges, has unveiled a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) proposal [...]
Coronavirus curfew would ‘devastate’ hospitality industry, experts warn September 16, 2020 The introduction of a coronavirus curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants to halt the spread of infections would “devastate” the hospitality sector, industry bodies have warned. The government is reportedly considering imposing a 9pm or 10pm curfew on hospitality venues in a bid to slow rising Covid-19 cases across the country. The Telegraph reported this [...]
