TfL needs a bailout, but nobody should give the Mayor a blank cheque May 5, 2020 As Londoners start to look forward to the end of the lockdown, TfL is in need of a bailout. Otherwise, according to Sadiq Khan, it will run out of cash. On the face of it, there’s nothing remarkable about TfL needing a bailout. Tube ridership is down 94%, buses down 85%. Even if passenger numbers [...]
Sketch: The tech giants dance to their own tune in Zoom parliament April 30, 2020 “Have you ever met Mark Zuckerberg?” the culture select committee asks, wasting no time in getting to the real issues about the spread of fake news during the coronavirus crisis. Facebook’s UK public policy manager, a bespectacled millennial sat predictably next to a potted plant, looks nonplussed via webcam. “I have seen him,” he says [...]
CMA clears £6.2bn Just Eat Takeaway merger April 23, 2020 Just Eat and Takeaway.com received the green light to complete their £6.2bn merger today. UK watchdog t he Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found the tie-up would not lessen competition in the food delivery space. The CMA said it was “satsified there are no competition concerns”. Takeaway.com fought off a rival bid from Dutch rival [...]
UK pubs face permanent closure without extra support, industry warns April 20, 2020 Thousands of UK pubs could struggle to survive the coronavirus lockdown without additional financial support, the industry has warned after the government indicated that the sector could be among the last to see restrictions lifted. The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has called on the government to announce extra support for the industry amid [...]
Opinion: Supermarkets look a good bet April 20, 2020 The received wisdom at present is that UK property capital markets have pretty much gone into suspended animation in the face of the pandemic, but this certainly isn’t the case in the grocery-led sector. There are currently seven substantial supermarket transactions totalling around £205m which are either under offer or due to imminently complete. And [...]
Mr Kipling owner Premier Foods boosts sales as shoppers stockpile sweet treats April 20, 2020 Shares in Premier Foods jumped almost 25 per cent in early trading today after the firm said it had experienced a sharp rise in demand during the coronavirus outbreak. The Mr Kipling maker said it expected sales to rise roughly 3.6 per cent year on year in the fourth quarter and 10.5 per cent in [...]
Coronavirus: Quiz reopens online store and distribution centre April 15, 2020 Fashion retailer Quiz is the latest brand to resume online trading after shutting its warehouse last month over coronavirus safety concerns. Shares in the company jumped more than 13 per cent as it announced this morning that it has reopened its online store and distribution centre, but can only offer standard delivery. Quiz said it [...]
UK retail footfall dives to lowest level on record after coronavirus lockdown April 15, 2020 UK retail footfall fell to the lowest level on record last month after the government ordered all non-essential stores to close during the coronavirus lockdown. Footfall plunged 41.3 per cent in March compared to the previous year, the latest data showed, driven by a drop of 81.4 per cent in the final week of the [...]
Coronavirus: John Lewis launches virtual services April 14, 2020 John Lewis has launched a platform to provide its in-store services, such as decorating and style advice, online while its stores are closed during the UK coronavirus lockdown. The department store said it will offer virtual nursery, home design and style advice through video calls with customers. John Lewis is currently unable to provide the [...]
London shopper numbers jumped 50 per cent last weekend despite UK coronavirus lockdown April 7, 2020 Retail footfall in the capital leapt on Sunday as the warm weather tempted Londoners to defy the UK coronavirus lockdown. Footfall soared 51.4 per cent on Sunday compared to the previous weekend, prompting concerns that sunny weather over the upcoming Easter weekend could encourage people to break lockdown rules. Across the UK footfall was up [...]