Storage firm Big Yellow suffers drop in occupancy due to UK coronavirus lockdown April 16, 2020 Storage provider Big Yellow suffered a drop in occupancy after the coronavirus lockdown was announced as customers rushed to collect their belongings. There was a spike in activity after the government imposed coronavirus lockdown measures, with a net overall occupancy loss of 23,000 sq ft in the final two weeks of March, compared to a [...]
Tesla to face shareholder lawsuit Elon Musk’s ‘funding secured’ tweet April 16, 2020 Tesla boss Elon Musk must face a shareholder lawsuit over a tweet in which he stated the company had secured funding for a go-private deal worth $72bn (£58bn), a judge has ruled. Shareholders have filed a suit alleging the billionaire founder attempted to defraud them with a 2018 tweet that read: “Am considering taking Tesla [...]
One in four UK firms temporarily closed due to coronavirus April 16, 2020 A quarter of UK firms have closed or paused trading as coronavirus ravages the economy, new figures have shown. For those businesses still open, on average more than 20 per cent of staff have been furloughed using the government’s job retention scheme, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The figures, which cover the period [...]
IMF: UK must extend Brexit trade deal deadline during coronavirus April 16, 2020 The UK must move to extend its Brexit trade deal deadline while the global economy faces coronavirus uncertainty, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). UK chief negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier confirmed yesterday that trade talks will re-commence next week, without any extension to the 31 December [...]
Coronavirus: Amazon to close warehouses in France after court order April 16, 2020 Amazon has been forced to close its warehouses in France after it was ordered to only deliver essential goods such as food and medical supplies during the coronavirus crisis. The US retail giant will close its six warehouses in France from today until at least 20 April following the court order. Around 10,000 permanent and [...]
Coronavirus: UK banks expect surge of business loan defaults April 16, 2020 The UK’s banks and building societies expect to see a surge of businesses defaulting on their loans in the coming months, survey data has shown, as coronavirus sends the economy into a deep recession. Small businesses are expected to be the worst hit, with expectations of defaults hitting their highest since the financial crisis for [...]
Easyjet raises £1.9bn but faces £380m coronavirus loss April 16, 2020 Budget airline Easyjet said today that it had has raised £1.8bn-£1.9bn in extra cash to help it survive the shutdown caused by the coronavirus epidemic. But it could face first-half losses of up to £380m due to travel bans associated with the coronavirus lockdown, it warned. The airline said today that it had signed two [...]
UK retail sales suffer worst fall in 25 years due to lockdown April 16, 2020 UK retail sales suffered the worst decline on record last month due to the coronavirus lockdown, however food and online sales jumped as Brits stayed at home. Total UK retail sales decreased 4.3 per cent in March, against a drop of 1.8 per cent in 2019, which is the worst fall in 25 years, following [...]
Coronavirus: Keeping company culture a top priority will pay off April 16, 2020 Small business owners across the nation are, understandably, concerned right now. Daily news reports show the economy coming to a halt, businesses shutting up shop and an ever increasing death toll. SMEs, arguably more than any other group, are equipped to weather this storm. Our connected economy and cloud-based services enable us to continue – in [...]
UK coronavirus lockdown set to be extended until early May April 16, 2020 The UK coronavirus lockdown is set to be extended today until early May, according to multiple media reports. The UK government is expected to announce a three-week extension to the coronavirus lockdown later today. Health minister Matt Hancock told the BBC this morning that the virus would “run rampant” if lockdown measures were lifted now. [...]