Talk Talk shares slip as coronavirus eats into revenue July 21, 2020 Talk Talk shares slipped just under two per cent this morning, after the British telecoms firm reported a slip in revenue in the three months to 30 June, as Brits switched traditional phone calls for video chats during lockdown. The internet firm reported an eight per cent slump in headline revenue to £358m, down from [...]
Keep shopping like you did during lockdown July 20, 2020 No, not stockpiling. Nobody wants more stockpiling. But in other ways, lockdown has changed how we shop for the better — and there are valuable lessons we should all learn from this period of disruption. Over the years we’ve grown accustomed to easy access to a huge variety of food. We’re not typically too concerned [...]
Reopened restaurants in London: A new regular round-up of the latest food news July 17, 2020 Coronavirus may have shuttered the food industry since lockdown was announced, but the restaurant business is bouncing back, with dozens of our favourite places to eat reopening every day. In this new column, we’ll bring you the latest news from the front-line of the food business, complete with all the details you need to book [...]
The Friday Interview: Fortnum’s looks to the future July 17, 2020 It’s an iconic London brand, but like the rest of the capital, Fortnum & Mason was hit by the Covid-19 lockdown. We catch up with the store’s Retail & Hospitality Director Simon Thompson – who tells us that while it’s all a little different, loyal customers still have smiles on their faces. Fortnum & Mason [...]
Ikea launches vegetarian meatball in climate crusade July 16, 2020 Vegetarians will now be able to try Ikea’s iconic meatballs after the Swedish giant announced it would launch a vegetarian version of the classic food. From 3 August, customers will be able to buy the new creation, named “plant balls”, which Ikea said were a “more sustainable” take on one of its best-loved products. Made [...]
Retail footfall growth doubles as consumers return to high streets July 13, 2020 Retail footfall growth more than doubled last week as consumers visited high street cafes, pubs and restaurants after lockdown restrictions were eased. Footfall across all UK retail destinations rose by 10.6 per cent last week compared to the week before. During the previous week footfall grew just 4.1 per cent, according to the latest research [...]
Most Brits still ‘uncomfortable’ dining out in restaurants July 10, 2020 Most Brits are still uncomfortable with sitting indoors at a restaurant due to fears over the spread of coronavirus, according to a new survey. Alongside pubs and bars, restaurants were allowed to reopen on 4 July after months in lockdown. But the latest survey by the Office for National Statistics found that six in 10 [...]
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group says some sites will remain closed until 2021 July 10, 2020 Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group has secured a £50m government loan it said this morning as it revealed that some sites won’t reopen until next year. The Restaurant Group said today that just 25 per cent of its 400 sites will be open by the end of July, despite the government giving a green light [...]
Sunak’s spending spree ‘catastrophe’ for UK’s night time industry July 9, 2020 Casinos, comedy clubs and nightclubs have accused the chancellor of letting Britain’s night industry “slip through the cracks”, as a new wave of financial support for the hospitality industry failed to provide specific support for shuttered night time venues. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a raft of measures in his £30bn mini-Budget yesterday, in a bid [...]
We can’t rebuild an economy on half-priced meals — we need a productivity revolution July 9, 2020 If Joe Wicks or Couch To 5K have helped you shed a few pounds during lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak may have just undone all your hard work, tipping the scale in favour of eating out a lot more in August. For every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Eat Out to Help Out scheme will entitle [...]