Coronavirus: UK consumers ease up on stockpiling in run up to Easter April 10, 2020 UK consumers spent an additional £83m on groceries last week, but sales are down by 2.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, suggesting the nation has eased up on stockpiling. Grocery sales in the UK have increased significantly over the past weeks, as a result of stockpiling, amid health fears around the [...]
London O2 arena to become NHS training ground for staff fighting coronavirus April 9, 2020 AEG has made London’s O2 Arena available to the NHS for the training of additional staff required at the new Nightingale hospital in the Excel centre. The venue’s owner has handed the concert venue over to the NHS until the end of June in order to assist with the growing number of staff required to [...]
Coronavirus: Ikea opens Swedish food markets for key workers April 8, 2020 Ikea has opened the food markets at its London stores to serve key workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The Swedish retail giant has opened food halls at its Tottenham and Greenwich sites, which are located close to local hospitals. The Ikea markets will be open to NHS and emergency service workers as well as the [...]
Coronavirus: Tesco could take £925m hit on extra staff and delivery costs April 8, 2020 Tesco warned it could take a hit of up to £925m due to the impact of hiring extra staff and ramping up distribution due to the coronavirus outbreak. The supermarket this morning said it expects retail costs to increase by between £650m and £925m, but said the sales boost caused by stockpiling and business rates [...]
Bloomsbury to offer delivery services to independent bookshops April 8, 2020 Bloomsbury today unveiled plans to support independent bookshops that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. Indie booksellers across the country have been forced to overhaul their business models as they struggle to meet surging demand sparked by social distancing measures. Bloomsbury will offer its ecommerce platform and delivery services to bookshops whose normal [...]
London shopper numbers jumped 50 per cent last weekend despite UK coronavirus lockdown April 7, 2020 Retail footfall in the capital leapt on Sunday as the warm weather tempted Londoners to defy the UK coronavirus lockdown. Footfall soared 51.4 per cent on Sunday compared to the previous weekend, prompting concerns that sunny weather over the upcoming Easter weekend could encourage people to break lockdown rules. Across the UK footfall was up [...]
Ocean Outdoor launches £10m media fund for virus-hit firms April 6, 2020 Advertising group Ocean Outdoor has launched a £10m fund offering free ad space to the retailers and small businesses hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. The fund will give businesses and brands access to advertising space on the company’s network of screens in 12 UK cities. Ocean’s out-of-home sites in London include Piccadilly Lights and [...]
BT gives staff pay rise as chief executive donates salary April 6, 2020 BT has handed out a share bonus to all staff and pledged not to cut jobs during the coronavirus crisis as the telecoms giant faces a surge in demand for its services. Each of BT’s 100,000 employees will be awarded £500 in shares in June, while thousands of non-managerial staff will be given a 1.5 [...]
BAE predicts ‘significant disruptions’ from Covid-19 April 3, 2020 Defence firm BAE Systems today said it expects “significant disruptions” due to coronavirus as it moves into the second quarter of the financial year. It comes after an opening three months where the Covid-19 pandemic had a minimal impact on the London-listed company. The firm today said it was assessing the situation and would update [...]
The impact of coronavirus on dividends April 2, 2020 As UK banks temporarily suspend all dividend payments, we discuss the effect coronavirus could have on a vital source of income for investors. What’s happening to dividends? The coronavirus crisis and oil price war are having a profound impact on economic growth and the cash position of companies. Many businesses in the most affected sectors [...]