Klarna-challenger Zilch becomes first ‘buy now pay later’ firm to secure FCA licence November 23, 2020 The City regulator has issued its first licence to a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)company, months after launching an inquiry into the unsecured credit market. London-based Zilch has become the first company in the UK’s BNPL market to become fully licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Zilch has worked with the regulator for over [...]
Forter valuation soars to $1.3bn after raising $125m in Series E round November 19, 2020 E-commerce fraud prevention platform Forter has raised $125m in a Series E round bringing its valuation to over $1.3bn. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Itai Tsiddon with participation from Felix Capital and Sequoia Capital among others. Forter said it would use the investment to expand its network, which has doubled in [...]
Government to double coronavirus testing with two new ‘megalabs’ November 16, 2020 The government has announced it will open two new “megalabs” to process a total of 600,000 coronavirus tests a day as part of plans to return Britain to normality next year. The sites, in Leamington Spa and Scotland, will double the UK’s current testing capacity when they open in early 2021. The government last month [...]
G20 agrees new debt restructuring framework in wake of pandemic November 13, 2020 G20 finance ministers have for the first time agreed a new common framework for restructuring government debt, amid concerns poorer countries will need unprecedented debt relief packages in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Major creditors including China are expected to follow the fresh guidelines, which set out legislation to reduce or reschedule debt deemed [...]
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 [...]
Asos sounds cautious note on future demand after profit quadruples October 14, 2020 Asos reported a quadrupling in full-year profit following a spike in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, but warned on the outlook for consumer spending among its young customer base. The fashion ecommerce giant reported profit before tax of £142.1m for the year to 31 August, up from £33.1m the year before. Read more: Asos [...]
Retail body accuses government on inaction on garment worker abuse October 11, 2020 The trade body for the UK retail sector has said that the government has carried out no “significant action” to protect textile workers from exploitaiton. In a letter to home secretary Priti Patel, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said: “Despite numerous reports in the media, and a previous letter to the home secretary signed by [...]
AO World revenue surges as customers continue online shopping post-lockdown August 20, 2020 Online electrical retailer AO World said today its revenue surged in the months during and after the easing of coronavirus lockdowns as demand for its products and services was sustained even after its rivals reopened stores in July. The company said year-on-year revenue in the UK jumped 58.9 per cent to £401.3m and 91.5 per [...]
Seven online jobs to consider this August August 20, 2020 With a spate of redundancy and hiring freezes, and many offices likely to be locked up until 2021, we’ve seen a huge surge in job seekers searching for “online” and “remote” opportunities this summer. Offering increased flexibility and the chance to work from home around other commitments, online jobs can be a perfect solution for [...]
Asos shares jump as profit forecast raised due to online shopping boom August 12, 2020 Shares in fast fashion retailer Asos jumped this morning after it announced that full-year sales and profit are expected to beat forecasts due to an online shopping boom during the UK coronavirus lockdown. Asos said revenue growth is expected to be between 17 per cent and 19 per cent, with profit before tax of around [...]