Black Friday sales failed to boost retail footfall last month December 2, 2021 Black Friday sales failed to entice more shoppers out to UK retail destinations, according to the latest data. Footfall worsened slightly during November to 14.5 per cent below 2019 compared with being down 13.4 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in October, according to Springboard data. The month as a whole was impacted by a relatively [...]
Bullish Omicron assessments boost global markets December 1, 2021 A string of bullish assessments from global health leaders downplaying the severity of the Omicron variant boosted global markets yesterday. Investors shook off concerns over the Covid-19 variant derailing the world’s fight against the pandemic and poured back into stocks. London’s premier FTSE 100 index shot up 1.55 per cent to close at 7,168.68 points [...]
Quick review: Wine bar and restaurant Hackney Coterie is boldly sophisticated December 1, 2021 WHAT IS IT?A wine bar and restaurant, Hackney Coterie manages to both be relaxed and boldly sophisticated. Opened in July 2021, it’s the brainchild of two friends, restaurateur Anthony Lyons (of Lyons Seafood & Wine Bar) and sommelier Kelvin McCabe. The wines hail from across Europe, and form a seriously impressive collection. As for the food, [...]
The supermarket wars are in full swing and Tesco is beefing up to fight its turf December 1, 2021 I last saw Sir Terry Leahy in 2013, two years after his messy divorce from Tesco. He agreed to a chat about retail on the condition he wouldn’t have to talk about the supermarket juggernaut he helped to create or his successor, Philip Clarke, who’d begun to question the state of the business he’d been [...]
‘Don’t cancel Christmas’: Boris Johnson increasingly under fire as Omicron Covid variant spreads across UK December 1, 2021 A senior health official has suggested that festive gatherings should be shelved as Boris Johnson will face further questions about the Government’s approach to halting the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant amid criticism from Tory MPs. The Prime Minister urged people not to cancel Christmas parties or school nativity plays during a press conference [...]
UK economy to return to anaemic growth as cost of living crisis spikes Brits November 30, 2021 A triple threat of a worsening cost of living crisis, higher interest rates and a pulling of government Covid-19 support will throw the UK economy back into an anaemic state, according to new research published today. Swelling energy bills and rising costs for basic necessities will cause households on tight budgets to rein in spending, [...]
Blessing in disguise: Omicron variant may be ‘very positive’ news for the world if new Covid mutation kills off more lethal Delta coronavirus November 30, 2021 Hospitals and GPs across Southern Africa are increasingly reporting that the symptoms of the aggressive new Covid strain Omicron are “unusual but very mild,” according to various media in South Africa this weekend. Around 90 per cent of all new infections in the Johannesburg region are now caused by the Omicron strain but, so far, [...]
Covid latest: Number of Omicron coronavirus cases in UK jumps to 14, Boris Johnson to address nation today November 30, 2021 It appears this morning that three more cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 14. The news comes as Boris Johnson is expected to hold a Downing Street press conference this afternoon, where he is expected to set out more [...]
The Coward’s way out: Loungewear to keep it classy November 30, 2021 The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the switch to home working by large swathes of the employed population had a distinct knock-on effect on clothing. Suits and smart jackets were out—some of us are fighting a rearguard action to revive them—and suddenly everyone cast aside any remaining shame and championed their loungewear. The pressure [...]
London’s transport system must not be sacrificed on the altar of ‘levelling up’ November 30, 2021 Dare to dream: Crossrail might be about to arrive. Delay after demoralising delay pushed back the original 2018 opening, but Transport for London has hailed the “significant milestone” of the start of trial operations. Thousands of volunteers will help TfL test the £19bn railway over the coming months, with the aim of finally opening the [...]