Joules boss ‘encouraged’ by first quarter performance despite revenue slide September 23, 2020 British retailer Joules has reported a drop in revenue for the first quarter, but its boss said he is “encouraged” by the group’s performance. Chief executive Nick Jones said sales for the 13 weeks to the end of August had exceeded expectations, although group revenue slipped 18 per cent to £39.6m. Revenue through Joules’ own [...]
Rishi Sunak considers German-style wage subsidy scheme September 23, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is weighing up a new scheme to subsidise workers’ wages to replace furlough, perhaps along the lines of the German short-time work scheme, as he tries to limit the economic impact of the latest coronavirus restrictions. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson implemented new rules that will see pubs shut at [...]
Night-time businesses slam 10pm curfew as ‘devastating’ September 22, 2020 Businesses in the UK’s night-time economy have slammed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a 10pm curfew on venues for up to six months as “devastating”, and warned that it will lead to wide-scale business collapse and unemployment. Boris Johnson today announced a 10pm curfew on all hospitality and leisure venues in England in a bid [...]
Sir Keir Starmer: Labour must become more patriotic September 20, 2020 Labour must stop being “shy” about patriotism to win back its traditional working class voter base, according to Sir Keir Starmer. Starmer said today that his party had been “very shy about patriotism for too many years” and that “the Labour movement actually wants the very best for the country”. The party’s virtual 2020 conference [...]
UK retail sales grow for fourth consecutive month September 18, 2020 UK retail sales reached pre-pandemic levels last month, driven by supermarket and home improvement purchases. Retail sales were up 0.8 per cent in August compared to the previous month, which was the fourth consecutive month of growth. UK retail sales were up four per cent compared to February, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. [...]
National Theatre to stage panto as it plots October reopening September 17, 2020 The National Theatre today said it will reopen its doors for live performances next month with a season of new shows that includes a Christmas pantomime. The iconic venue said it will remodel its Olivier theatre to stage a series of performances in-the-round, enabling audiences of almost 500 to attend while observing social distancing. The [...]
John Lewis scraps staff bonus as it crashes to £635m loss September 17, 2020 John Lewis today confirmed it will not pay a staff bonus for the first time in more than 70 years as the department store chain posted a pre-tax loss of £635m in the first half. The retailer reported a 2.7 per cent uptick in revenue to £4.9bn over the period, but said shoppers had spent [...]
Government extends ban on commercial evictions until end of 2020 September 16, 2020 Businesses cannot be evicted by landlords for getting behind on rent payments until the end of 2020, the government said today, announcing an extension on an earlier policy. The moratorium on commercial tenant evictions may deepen the rift between retailers and landlords, as the high street continues to struggle amid dampened footfall. The government is [...]
Saving Christmas: Why I am taking the government to court over its Covid-19 response September 16, 2020 Once again, the public has had a royal telling-off by Boris and his motley crew. With gatherings of over six banned from Monday, it almost feels like Groundhog Day – but there is one crucial difference. This time, we have seven months of lockdown under our belts and with this, reams of repugnant evidence that [...]
Domino’s to create 6,000 new jobs September 15, 2020 Pizza takeaway chain Domino’s has announced it is creating 6,000 new roles ahead of the crucial Christmas trading period. The fast food firm is hiring 5,000 new employees as well as 1,000 placements under the government’s Kickstart scheme to help young people get jobs after the coronavirus pandemic. Among the 5,000 new roles, Domino’s will [...]