Dunelm reports post-lockdown sales boom on pent-up demand September 1, 2020 Dunelm today said its sales jumped in July and August as pent-up demand helped boost revenue following the coronavirus lockdown. The furnishings retailer reported year-on-year sales growth of 59 per cent in July and 24 per cent in August. The Leicestershire-based firm said the rise was due to pent-up demand following store closures, as well [...]
Asian markets rise after strong Chinese manufacturing data September 1, 2020 Asian markets rose today after strong readings on China’s vast manufacturing sector offset the weak lead from a softer Wall Street session. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.2 per cent, to regain some ground it had lost on Monday. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong traded 0.18 per cent higher [...]
The government needs to take nurseries more seriously as part of its education strategy September 1, 2020 As schools prepare to return, so soon after the A-Level fiasco, there is a huge focus on education. However, one very important part of the education sector, which has been underappreciated for too long, is that of day nurseries, pre-schools and childminders. These early learning providers cater for 2.1m children under the age of five [...]
Covid-19 could be the largest insured loss in history. How can the insurance industry adapt? September 1, 2020 Covid-19 has us all living through a live, catastrophic event. It is dramatic but makes the non-life insurance world a fascinating place to be. There will be significant insured losses from Covid-19 with obvious examples of the Olympics being postponed, Wimbledon and other sporting events being cancelled, and hundreds of thousands of travel insurance claims [...]
Technology can help bridge the divide between tenants and landlords September 1, 2020 Covid-19’s impact on the world has been seismic. Closer to home, the UK is facing its worst recession in decades if not centuries, and recently the government’s debt exceeded the size of the economy for the first time in more than half a century. But the crisis could have been so much worse without technology. [...]
Schools across England welcome pupils back for autumn term September 1, 2020 Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England will return to classrooms today, as schools across the country start to reopen for full-time education. Pupils will be welcomed back for the autumn term with a “system of controls” in place to keep pupils, teachers and staff safe by minimising direct contacts and maintaining social distancing where [...]
The City View: Wework’s Mathieu Proust on the future of the office September 1, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Today Andy Silvester steps in for Christian May, and talks to Wework’s UK boss Mathieu Proust. The property firm’s chief offers his opinions on the value of office space and flexibility, the future of London as a global hub and the outfit’s plans to rebound from a dire 2019. [...]
UK economy unlikely to recover until 2023, KPMG says September 1, 2020 The UK economy is unlikely to reach its pre-Covid level until early 2023, according to new forecasts. KPMG’s latest quarterly economic outlook forecasts UK GDP will plunge 10.3 per cent for the year, downgraded from the 7.2 per cent predicted in June. However, a second lockdown of even just four weeks could leave GDP dropping [...]
Bank of Mum and Dad will drive housing market recovery September 1, 2020 The Bank of Mum and Dad will be a key driving force behind the post-coronavirus recovery within the UK housing market, according to new analysis. Nearly one in four housing transactions – 23 per cent – will be supported by the Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD), a four per cent rise since 2019, according [...]
Black Lives Matter: City of London Corporation to review ‘problematic’ landmarks September 1, 2020 The City of London Corporation is today launching a review into landmarks and street names that have “historic links to slavery and racism” in the wake of this year’s Black Lives Matter protests. The three-month review will see the local authority ask people which landmarks “they think are a problem and what action they would [...]
