Thousands of job losses expected as furlough scheme ends September 7, 2020 Thousands of workers will be made redundant when the government’s Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme scheme ends next month, according to the latest research. In total, 60 per cent of the UK’s medium-sized companies will cut jobs when the furlough scheme – which saw the government cover up to 80 per cent of the wages of [...]
UK house prices: Growth to remain ‘muted’ after coronavirus lockdown September 7, 2020 UK house price growth is expected to remain muted this year while transactions could plunge despite a bounce back in demand following the lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The latest research by estate agent Knight Frank forecasts that UK house prices will grow two per cent this year. However both prime central London and prime [...]
British Airways and Heathrow in row over £500m charge for failed expansion plans September 6, 2020 Heathrow and British Airways (BA) have become embroiled in a row over a proposal to charge airlines £500m for the airport’s failed expansion plans. A consultation recommends allowing the airport the bill airlines for costs related to the third runway incurred until February this year. The plans to build a third runway at Heathrow were [...]
Rail firms cut services by 10 per cent due to coronavirus September 6, 2020 Rail services will reportedly face a 10 per cent cut this autumn due to the coronavirus pandemic, with evening and weekend trains to be the hardest hit. Some services will be reduced from every hour to every two hours, some direct routes to London will be paused, as well as high-speed trains for airports and [...]
Home working could cost UK economy £15bn a year, PwC warns September 6, 2020 Home working could cost the UK economy up to £15.3bn a year due to the knock-on effect on office cleaners and security guards as well as nearby cafes and coffee shops. The latest research by accountancy firm PwC showed that the one per cent drop in GDP would be caused by a cut in spending [...]
Which London restaurants are extending Eat Out to Help Out? September 4, 2020 Independent and chain restaurants across London are preparing to launch their own discounts following the success of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out initiative. The government scheme, which offered a 50 per cent discount up to the value of £10 per person, has been popular, with 64m half price meals enjoyed in the first [...]
Pret a Manger boss says shift to home working will become permanent September 4, 2020 The boss of sandwich chain Pret a Manger said the shift towards home working during the coronavirus pandemic will become permanent. Pano Christou, who was appointed chief executive in September last year, said workers will come into the office less often than they did before the Covid-19 crisis. Christou said Pret needs to adapt to [...]
Debenhams boss insists retailer is not on a cliff edge September 4, 2020 The chairman of Debenhams has insisted that the struggling department store chain is not facing a cliff edge. Chairman Max Gifford said the business, which recently entered administration for the second time in a year, has been doing better than expected. Fears have been mounting about the retailer’s future following reports that Administrator FRP Advisory [...]
Pret a Manger launches coffee subscription to battle lockdown sales slump September 4, 2020 Pret a Manger has announced it will launch a coffee subscription service as the coronavirus pandemic continues to challenge the cafe chain’s business model. Pret, which has announced 2,300 job cuts due to the Covid-19 crisis, said the £20-per-month subscription is the first step in its “new digitally-led, multichannel strategy”. The initiative, which will launch [...]
Co-op to create 1,000 new jobs in post-lockdown £130m investment drive September 4, 2020 Co-op is preparing to open a raft of new stores and create up to 1,000 new jobs as part of a £130m investment programme, as consumers have shopped more locally during the coronavirus pandemic. The convenience store chain announced this morning that it is planning to open or extend 65 stores, with a further 100 [...]
