Central London footfall surges in Wild Wednesday shopping spree December 2, 2020 Footfall levels in central London surged today as shoppers and office workers returned to the capital after England’s second coronavirus lockdown came to an end. Central London reported a 91.1 per cent jump in visitors by 5pm, compared with the same day last week as the city entered Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions. Footfall remains down [...]
Covid-19 brings Arcadia into administration, but Topshop’s brand has struggled for years December 2, 2020 Retail group Arcadia, owner of British high street giants Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, hired administrators this week after the coronavirus pandemic “severely impacted” sales. The retail empire, which is owned by controversial businessman Sir Philip Green, failed to secure extra funding to pay its debts despite the Black Friday sales period. While the pandemic created [...]
Topshop owner Arcadia collapses putting 13,000 jobs at risk December 1, 2020 Sir Philip Green’s retail empire Arcadia, the owner of Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, has collapsed into administration, putting more than 13,000 jobs at risk. The company, which has become the biggest retail casualty of the coronavirus crisis, announced this evening that it has appointed Deloitte as administrator. More than 13,000 jobs are at risk following [...]
Wanted: Someone to take charge and save hospitality this Christmas December 1, 2020 The excitement is building, and it’s so close now: lockdown is about to be lifted, and at midnight tomorrow we will all slot into our allotted tiers. London will be in a freshly toughened Tier 2, with shops reopening and pubs and restaurants allowed to admit customers — but under complicated limitations. A few lucky [...]
Black Friday boosts central London shopper numbers despite lockdown November 30, 2020 Black Friday boosted retail footfall in central London last week despite the closure of all non-essential shops. Footfall rose 4.8 per cent across all UK retail destinations compared to the previous week, soaring 21.6 per cent in central London and 5.1 per cent in outer boroughs. UK high streets and retail parks benefited the most [...]
Travel giant records 62 per cent sales spike as consumer confidence grows November 27, 2020 London-based travel giant Not Just Travel recorded a 62 per cent surge in bookings this week. The top holiday destinations booked by consumers, in order of preference, were the USA, the Canary Islands, Dubai, Lapland and the Maldives. Not Just Travel co-founders Steve Witt and Paul Harrison attributed this increase in bookings to Black Friday [...]
Black Friday: Union calls for inquiry into Amazon over ‘dehumanising’ conditions November 27, 2020 Union members have called for a parliamentary inquiry into Amazon over “dehumanising” conditions at the ecommerce giant’s warehouses. Disgruntled unionists have projected a banner reading ‘Make Amazon Pay’ outside the tech firm’s London headquarters as part of protests coinciding with Black Friday. “Amazon is well known for unsafe, dehumanising work practices which see our members [...]
First digital-only Black Friday set for bumper year as Covid-19 moves shoppers online November 27, 2020 England’s first ever digital-only Black Friday will not deter customers, with figures suggesting sales could be as much as 43 per cent higher than in 2019, with customers now familiar with the convenience of shopping online thanks to coronavirus. Figures from IMRG, the UK’s industry association for online retail, found this year’s Black Friday sales [...]
Second national lockdown to drive Black Friday sales down 20 per cent November 23, 2020 The introduction of a second national lockdown will push Black Friday sales down 20 per cent as consumers wait for shops to reopen to bag a bargain. Nationwide Building Society predicted a drop off in spending on 27 November, compared to a previous forecast of a 12 per cent increase, due to the month-long lockdown. [...]
UK retail sales outperform expectations ahead of second lockdown November 20, 2020 UK retail sales rose for the sixth consecutive month, smashing analysts’ expectations as Britons stocked up on goods ahead of new restrictions. In October UK retail sales volumes grew 1.2 per cent, well ahead of the 0.0 per cent expected, said the Office for National Statistics. Volumes are now 6.7 per cent higher than in [...]