QPR launch bond in bid to part-crowdfund new £20m training ground September 30, 2021 Queens Park Rangers have launched a bond in a bid to partially crowdfund their plans for a new £20m training ground. The five-year bond is aimed at supporters and retail investors and will pay five per cent interest plus a 25 per cent bonus should QPR be promoted to the Premier League by 2026. “Supporter [...]
Lloyds Bank picks Wicks to fuel capital’s recovery September 30, 2021 Interview with Lloyds Bank’s new regional director for London SME and mid-corporate. As the capital starts to emerge from the disruption caused by Covid-19, what kind of financial shape are its businesses in? “We’ve seen countless examples of firms showing incredible resilience and innovating in order to survive,” says Becci Wicks, in conversation with City [...]
Boohoo shares slump as profit dwindles from pandemic highs September 30, 2021 Boohoo’s shares sank as much as 15 per cent today, after the fast fashion retailer reported profits were down on last year’s pandemic highs, as increased operational costs slightly offset business gains. The e-commerce giant announced this morning that revenue surged 20 per cent in the six months ending 31 August, with sales jumping to £975.9m [...]
Offenders can deliver petrol while fuel crisis rages on, says Dominic Raab September 30, 2021 Low-level offenders who have been given community sentences could be used to address the country’s lack of HGV drivers amid continuing concerns about fuel shortages, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has suggested. Panic buying sparked by concerns a lack of lorry drivers would prevent supplies reaching fuel pumps has brought long queues and pockets of [...]
Who’s next? Retail boss Simon Wolfson urges Government to learn lessons of truck driver shortage September 29, 2021 Next boss Lord Wolfson has urged ministers to relax immigration rules to alleviate a crisis in “warehouses, restaurants, hotels, care homes and many seasonal industries.” The retail titan said that the current shortage of truck drivers was “foreseen, and widely predicted” and said Government needed to learn from its failure to act. The firm upgraded [...]
FTSE 100 climbs as London markets shake off inflation fears September 29, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 jumped during opening exchanges today driven by investors in the capital shaking off inflation concerns that rattled global markets yesterday. The capital’s premier index added 0.74 per cent to reach 7,079.97 points in the first hour of trading today. Global markets sold off yesterday as investors rejigged their portfolios in preparation for [...]
Linen firm Julian Charles changes course after appeal to younger consumers September 28, 2021 Bedding retailer Julian Charles has revealed a successful turnaround at break-even position after posting a multi-million pound loss. The linen firm hit an EBITDA break-even point in the six month period ended April 2021, under new ownership by SKG Capital. Appealing to younger customers with new designs had helped the business reverse its fortunes, it [...]
London is back: Footfall boost as Brits return to city centres September 27, 2021 London enjoyed a 6.5 per cent boost in shoppers last week, ahead of national figures for increased footfall. Office workers have returned in droves this month while international tourism to the city is slowly picking too. Retail experts Springboard said footfall across UK retail destinations rose 2.7 per cent last week from the week before. [...]
Boris Johnson mulls calling in army to deliver fuel as pumps run dry after weekend of panic buying September 27, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to be weighing the option to let soldiers drive fuel trucks as pumps ran dry after a weekend of panic buying. Emergency measures were triggered late last night, with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng choosing to suspend competition laws for the fuel industry to allow suppliers to target filling stations [...]
Shortages: PM’s emergency driver visa plans slammed as a ‘drop in the bucket’ September 26, 2021 Prime minister Boris Johnson will use a temporary visa scheme to allow overseas workers into the UK in a bid to ease the country’s shortages in the lead up to Christmas. But the plan was rounded on by the Lib Dems, who this morning indicated that the number of emergency visas that can be granted [...]