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. [...]
Coronavirus: The Mayor must do more to protect London’s key workers April 16, 2020 In the last month, 26 staff from London’s transport network died. Most were bus workers. And instead of taking action himself, the Mayor says he needs more international collaboration Don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for international collaboration. After all, London is a global city. But right now, the people who need the Mayor [...]
Coronavirus: Barratt Developments furloughs 85 per cent of staff April 16, 2020 Housebuilder Barratt Developments today announced it has temporarily laid off 85 per cent of its staff through the government coronavirus job retention scheme. Furloughed employees will receive full pay until at least the end of next month, the company said this morning. The developer also said both the executive and non-executive teams had agreed to [...]
PZ Cussons: ‘Exceptionally high demand’ in UK for Carex hand wash, sanitiser gel and Imperial Leather soap April 16, 2020 PZ Cussons said today it was experiencing “exceptionally high demand” in the UK for Carex hand wash, sanitiser gel and Imperial Leather soap as people wash their hands more during the coronavirus outbreak. The company said its focus remains on “sourcing, producing and distributing” these products. PZ Cussons said it continues to “face challenges in [...]
Dunelm boss takes 90 per cent pay cut as retailer seeks coronavirus loan April 16, 2020 The chief executive of Dunelm will take a 90 per cent pay cut, the homeware retailer announced this morning as it confirmed it is eligible for a coronavirus loan. Chief executive Nick Wilkinson will be paid 10 per cent of his salary for at least three months, while chairman Andy Harrison and other non-executive directors [...]
Coronavirus: Global stocks set to sink as economic reality bites April 16, 2020 Global stocks were set to fall today as “ugly” economic data and weak bank earnings suggest a recession is on the horizon. Asian stocks dropped today, with Japan’s Nikkei falling 1.2 per cent while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.7 per cent. That came after Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Citi all saw [...]
Coronavirus: G20 economies freeze debts for world’s poorest countries April 15, 2020 The G20 group of the world’s biggest economies has agreed to suspend the debt repayment plans of the world’s poorest countries to free up funding so they can tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The decision, which will last from 1 May until the end of this year, will allow 77 of the world’s poorest nations to [...]
