Interim FCA chief to move on months after announcement of new boss September 16, 2020 The interim boss of the City regulator will step down from the board in October, just months after the announcement of its new permanent chief executive. The FCA said Christopher Woolard, who has been interim chief executive since Andrew Bailey left to become governor of the Bank of England in March, will step down on [...]
John Lewis mulls cutting Oxford Street flagship store space by 40 per cent September 16, 2020 John Lewis is reportedly preparing to slash the size of its flagship Oxford Street department store due to a steep drop in West End footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The retailer has applied to Westminster council to allow it to reduce its trading space by up to 40 per cent, while the third, fourth and [...]
FTSE 100 falls but US stocks rise ahead of Fed decision September 16, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell but US stocks opened higher as investors awaited the latest decision from the US Federal Reserve and digested more economic data. London’s main stock index dropped 0.6 per cent to stand at 6,067 points just before 3pm. The FTSE 250 of mid-cap companies fell 0.1 per cent. Read more: UK inflation [...]
The Hut Group raises £1.88bn in biggest London stock market listing since 2015 September 16, 2020 The Hut Group began trading on the London Stock Exchange this morning, raising £1.88bn in the largest UK initial public offering (IPO) since 2015. The Manchester-based online retail giant is valued at around £5.4bn following its stock market listing, which the firm said is the UK’s largest ever technology IPO. The Hut Group, which owns [...]
Tax-free shopping: Give the high street the shot in the arm it so urgently needs September 15, 2020 As the Brexit debate rages on, and with the end of the transition period looming, the pressure is on to draw a line under deal talks by the end of October. Much has been made of the potential benefits for UK consumers in the event of no-deal – a Brexit Bonus, if you will. But [...]
Aldi launches first click and collect trial September 14, 2020 Aldi has launched its first click and collect trial as the budget supermarket seeks to attract new customers amid rising demand for online shopping. The German discounter is running the trial for Aldi employees from a store in the Midlands and is planning to extend the service to customers in the coming weeks. If the [...]
Retail footfall suffers first decline since April as schools reopen September 14, 2020 Retail footfall suffered the first decline since April last week as schools reopened and families returned from their UK holidays, with the drop exacerbated as people continued to work from home. Footfall across retail destinations fell 6.3 per cent compared to the previous week as schools across the UK reopened and staycations tailed off. The [...]
Supporting London businesses with new Covid compliant scheme September 14, 2020 Without a doubt, food and retail premises in central London have suffered hugely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Understandably, customer facing businesses like these have been slower to reopen because of reduced footfall and consumer concerns over coronavirus transmission. But with positive and supportive initiatives, like the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, the capital [...]
Pizza Hut: Which UK restaurants are shutting down? September 11, 2020 Pizza Hut today revealed three London restaurants will permanently close in a crushing blow for food-lovers across the capital. Diners will no longer be able to go to the Croydon North End, Leyton Mill and Stratford restaurants. The fast food chain announced earlier this week that a total of 29 restaurants will permanently close, with [...]
UK economy grows 6.6 per cent in July as recovery continues September 11, 2020 The UK economy grew 6.6 per cent in July as it bounced back from the coronavirus lockdown of the spring, setting the stage for rapid GDP growth in the third quarter, official figures showed. The growth was slower than the 8.7 per cent expansion seen in June, however, and was from a low base after [...]