Restaurants and clubs that survive Covid may see a boom like never before December 1, 2020 For those in the hospitality industry, 2020 can’t end soon enough. Recent news suggests that by Spring, London finally will start to see some semblance of normal life return, with a lifting of this year’s countless rules and regulations. The hospitality industry has been decimated this year, despite the Government’s attempts to help by offering [...]
From Crypto to Tokens. The Great Migration December 1, 2020 My journey to crypto was not direct. I’d spent 20 years working for traditional banking houses, trading foreign exchange for Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and others. The high points in my career came during the most chaotic times, managing trading books through devaluations in Asia, Latin America and Iceland. I spent my first career studying [...]
London set for major new music venue after £1.3bn Olympia revamp December 1, 2020 London’s music scene will be given a much-needed boost with the launch of a major new music venue as part of a £1.3bn overhaul of the Olympia exhibition centre. The iconic west London site, which first opened its doors in 1886, has played host to some of the biggest names in pop and rock, including [...]
Covid restrictions: PM gives London’s ‘wet pubs’ who cannot open £1000 each December 1, 2020 All London pubs that cannot open tomorrow when Covid restrictions are eased will be given £1,000. London’s pubs can only open tomorrow if they are able to offer “substantial meals” to punters, meaning that scores of venues will stay closed in the lead up to Christmas. Boris Johnson made the announcement at the start of [...]
Boris Johnson faces Tory rebellion in today’s Covid restrictions vote December 1, 2020 Up to 100 Tory backbenchers could vote against the government’s new Covid restrictions regime in what may be the largest party revolt against Boris Johnson’s government so far. Dozens of Tory MPs have said they will today vote against the new regionalised Covid restrictions, after the government’s analysis of the new system, released yesterday, was [...]
Wanted: Someone to take charge and save hospitality this Christmas December 1, 2020 The excitement is building, and it’s so close now: lockdown is about to be lifted, and at midnight tomorrow we will all slot into our allotted tiers. London will be in a freshly toughened Tier 2, with shops reopening and pubs and restaurants allowed to admit customers — but under complicated limitations. A few lucky [...]
Topshop collapse: What went wrong for Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire? November 30, 2020 Topshop was a beloved high street brand, had secured lucrative partnerships with Kate Moss and Beyonce, and boasted star-studded front rows at its London Fashion Week shows. Now, it's facing collapse.
Black Friday boosts central London shopper numbers despite lockdown November 30, 2020 Black Friday boosted retail footfall in central London last week despite the closure of all non-essential shops. Footfall rose 4.8 per cent across all UK retail destinations compared to the previous week, soaring 21.6 per cent in central London and 5.1 per cent in outer boroughs. UK high streets and retail parks benefited the most [...]
Corona Impact Series: A Shoreditch paper goods supplier forced to move online November 30, 2020 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. Today: how a small stationery brand was forced to accelerate its digital transformation. “At the start of the first lockdown we had to close our five brick-and-mortar stores pretty much overnight,” sighs Sidonie [...]
To qualify or not to qualify? Auditors move to ditch risky clients November 30, 2020 Qualifying an audit could lead to unhappy clients and litigation risks, so it is safer to ditch clients instead, an expert has told City A.M., after several auditors dropped clients in October. Last month three separate auditors terminated contracts with clients in compromising circumstances. At the time the reputational risk of being associated with the [...]