Ocado sales surge as consumers switch to online shopping September 15, 2020 Ocado sales soared in the third quarter as more customers continued to switch to online shopping due to the pandemic. Retail revenue surged 52 per cent to £587.3m in the 13 weeks to 30 August due to high demand for home grocery deliveries. Ocado’s share price jumped 5.99 per cent this morning after it forecast [...]
Domino’s to create 6,000 new jobs September 15, 2020 Pizza takeaway chain Domino’s has announced it is creating 6,000 new roles ahead of the crucial Christmas trading period. The fast food firm is hiring 5,000 new employees as well as 1,000 placements under the government’s Kickstart scheme to help young people get jobs after the coronavirus pandemic. Among the 5,000 new roles, Domino’s will [...]
Aldi launches first click and collect trial September 14, 2020 Aldi has launched its first click and collect trial as the budget supermarket seeks to attract new customers amid rising demand for online shopping. The German discounter is running the trial for Aldi employees from a store in the Midlands and is planning to extend the service to customers in the coming weeks. If the [...]
Retail footfall suffers first decline since April as schools reopen September 14, 2020 Retail footfall suffered the first decline since April last week as schools reopened and families returned from their UK holidays, with the drop exacerbated as people continued to work from home. Footfall across retail destinations fell 6.3 per cent compared to the previous week as schools across the UK reopened and staycations tailed off. The [...]
London City Airport cuts 239 jobs as pandemic hits passenger numbers September 14, 2020 London City Airport has announced it will cut up to 239 roles due to low passenger numbers during the coronavirus pandemic. The airport said today that it has launched a consultation with staff over voluntary redundancies as it seeks to reduce costs. London City Airport suspended commercial flights in March due to the sharp drop [...]
JD Wetherspoon reveals 66 staff test positive for coronavirus after pubs reopen September 14, 2020 JD Wetherspoon has revealed that 66 employees have tested positive for coronavirus since it reopened its pubs in July but insisted that its venues are safe. The pub chain said many of the cases were mild or asymptomatic, and that 28 members of staff have returned to work after self-isolating. The company, which employs 41,564 [...]
Costain swings to a loss after £95m problem contract hit September 14, 2020 Infrastructure firm Costain swung to a loss after taking a £95m hit on two problem contracts, it announced this morning. The figures Costain reported a loss before tax of £92.3m in the first half of the year, compared to profit of £8.4m last year. Revenue also dropped from £594.1m to £459.9m during the period. The [...]
Nvidia to buy UK chip designer Arm for $40bn September 14, 2020 US tech giant Nvidia has announced it will buy UK-based computer chip designer Arm from Softbank for as much as $40bn. Nvidia has said the business will continue to be based in Cambridge and that it will invest in a new artificial intelligence research centre on site. It will also keep Arm’s branding and is [...]
Coppa Club owner Various Eateries circles struggling competitors September 10, 2020 Various Eateries, the owner of restaurant chains Strada and Coppa Club, is planning to raise £25m through an AIM listing as it seeks to buy competitors that have fallen victim to the coronavirus crisis. The firm, which was founded by Hugh Osmond, who led the rapid expansion of Pizza Express, is aiming to expand by [...]
Pure Gym secures £100m cash injection to provide buffer against second lockdown September 10, 2020 Pure Gym has secured a £100m cash injection from shareholders to help it recover from the coronavirus crisis and provide a buffer in the event of a second lockdown. Alongside the equity injection from shareholders Leonard Green Partners, the budget gym operator has also boosted its Revolving Credit Facility by £50m, increasing total liquidity to [...]