High Court rules against hospitality bosses on indoor closures May 5, 2021 Hospitality bosses have lost their legal battle for a quicker reopening of indoor hospitality in England. Punch Taverns founder Hugh Osmond and Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, brought a case against the government challenging the current rules. Lord and Osmond said there was no justification or scientific bias for pubs and [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan confident ‘boomerang Londoners’ will return post-pandemic May 4, 2021 Sadiq Khan has said he is confident that most of the estimated 700,000 foreign-born workers who have left London since the end of 2019 will return as the UK sheds its Covid restrictions. Khan told City A.M. in a long-ranging interview, to be released in full later today, that these were “boomerang Londoners” who would [...]
Leadenhall Market to become neon-soaked cinephiles’ dream May 4, 2021 Leadenhall Market will this month swap its Victorian grandeur for in-your-face neon lights, transforming into a living art exhibition courtesy of God’s Own Junkyard. The neon artists at the famous Walthamstow-based studio will create Electric City, an “immersive technicolour production”, featuring highlights from its 40-year history making neons for cinema, including Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide [...]
Made.com doubles London warehouse space with new 350,000 sq ft site, creating 100 jobs May 4, 2021 Online retailer Made.com has announced it will more than double its London warehouse space to meet consumer demand for furniture and homewares. The 350,000 sq ft distribution centre at London Gateway Logistics Park in Tilbury is part of Made’s growth plans and will create up to 100 new jobs. The development, which will be completed [...]
Coronavirus accelerated cryptocurrency growth May 4, 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated growth in the retail cryptocurrency market by at least five years, finds a report by Ziglu.
High street recovery blown off course as footfall drops 6.1 per cent May 4, 2021 Wind and rain blew the high street recovery off course this week as footfall dropped 6.1 per cent, according to figures from retail insight company Springboard. The number of shoppers across all retail destinations fell by two per cent last week from the week before. Meanwhile, footfall rose by 2.8 per cent in shopping centres [...]
Demand for vaping and vitamins sees Supreme revenues soar May 4, 2021 Manchester-based importer and manufacturer Supreme expects revenues to jump to £121m in the full year to March amid demand for its vaping and sports nutrition products. The Aim-listed company distributes to major discount retailers, grocers and wholesalers in a number of categories including vaping, nutrition, lighting, household and vitamins. Supreme began trading in London in [...]
Exclusive: EU’s biggest hemp producer sees profits grow 616 per cent in 2020 May 3, 2021 HempFlax saw its profits before tax skyrocket 616 per cent in 2020 to €659,000, as demand grew for its construction materials and CBD. The EU’s biggest hemp grower, headquartered in Holland, saw full year revenues up 43 per cent to €14.5m in 2020, with EBITDA increasing 63 per cent to €1.8m. The numbers were in [...]
Starbucks on hiring spree for 400 new jobs across UK as demand revives May 3, 2021 High Street giant Starbucks has launched a hiring spree for 400 roles as the coffee chain has been buoyed by the easing of pandemic restrictions. Positions will be available across almost 200 sites including city-centre, suburban high street and drive-thru locations as it builds its workforce to deal with higher demand. Starbucks, which currently employs [...]
Bargain bin: Topshop’s former Oxford Street site on sale for £420m May 2, 2021 For years it was the jewel in the crown of Sir Philip Green’s retail empire. But with the collapse of Arcadia last November, the former home of Topshop on Oxford Street is now on the market for a cool £420m. Marketing materials seen by The Times suggest the property will offer a “new age retail [...]