Asos to launch budget brand as 20-somethings face economic impact of Covid-19 October 14, 2020 Asos is planning to launch a budget brand, the fast fashion retailer announced this morning as it warned that its core 20-something audience were vulnerable to losing their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The online retail giant said today that the new brand called “As You” will meet the gap in its portfolio for lower-priced [...]
Tube journeys hit highest number since lockdown October 14, 2020 There were more journeys made on the Tube last week than at any point since the beginning of lockdown in March, despite the imminent prospect of new restrictions being imposed on the capital. According to data from Transport for London, there were 1.56m such journeys made last Friday, beating the previous high of 1.52m. That [...]
Brexit: Portaloos to be set up in Kent for potential lorry queue chaos October 14, 2020 The government will set up temporary portaloos in Kent for drivers waiting in lorry queues, after the UK leaves the EU’s customs union on 31 December. The Cabinet Office has predicted as a worst case scenario that 7,000-long lorry queues could form in Kent if businesses are not prepared for changes at the UK’s ports [...]
Nightclub owner Deltic seeks buyer as Covid-19 dances up a storm October 14, 2020 The UK’s largest nightclub operator has kicked off an urgent hunt for fresh funding as it faces potential collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic. Deltic Group, which owns brands including Pryzm and Atik, has hired accountancy firm BDO to explore options for the company, including finding new investors. Founded in 2011, Deltic employs 2,000 people [...]
Galliford Try wins place on £600m Thames Water programme October 14, 2020 Construction firm Galliford Try has won a place on two new lots on Thames Water’s new infrastructure improvement framework. The company’s environment business will work on the two projects, which could bring in as much as £240m over the next four years. The total pipeline of the project is valued at £590m, with Galliford Try [...]
EU markets watchdog working on ‘Plan B’ to move euro clearing from London October 14, 2020 The European markets watchdog is working on a “Plan B” that would move clearing of euro-denominated derivatives out of London if the bloc decides not to grant the UK long-term access to its markets. The London Stock Exchange’s LCH unit has been given permission by the bloc to continue clearing derivatives for EU customers for [...]
Shakespeare: Cineworld – and cinemas in general – take a reputational hit after closures October 14, 2020 At the start of October Cineworld, the world’s second biggest cinema operator, confirmed it will temporarily close all of its UK and US cinemas having struggled to draw in visitors without a stream of new films. Since Cineworld announced closures, Vue confirmed at the weekend that their screens will shut three days a week while [...]
Ashmore assets rise as market recovery offsets outflows October 14, 2020 Ashmore’s assets under management rose by nearly $2bn in the first quarter as a recovery in the markets helped to offset net outflows. The money manager, which focuses on emerging markets, said assets under management (AUM) increased by $1.9bn in the period to 30 September, offsetting net outflows of $0.8bn. AUM were estimated at $85.5bn [...]
Travel industry calls for ‘decisive’ action on airport testing October 14, 2020 The UK travel industry has urged the government to “act decisively” in putting in place airport coronavirus testing in order to save the £60bn industry. Trade body ABTA also called for ministers to provide targeted support for travel companies, many of which have been without any revenue this year. New figures from the association showed [...]
Learning the hard way: Why do things keep going wrong for Pearson? October 14, 2020 John Fallon, longstanding chief executive of Pearson, will step down next week after nearly eight years at the helm. The education boss today signed off with a mixed set of results for the first nine months of the year, as a surge in demand for online learning helped to offset sliding sales. The figures summed [...]