Winter is coming – but we have the vaccines to keep us going October 26, 2021 It’s been impossible not to notice the temperatures falling and the winter nights slowly drawing in. Whilst we can look forward to cosy Autumnal nights and frosty winter walks, that change in the weather also means it’s time to redouble our efforts to fight not just Covid-19, but flu, too. Due to last year’s winter [...]
Whitbread’s Premier Inn recovery ‘ahead of expectations’ despite losses October 26, 2021 Premier Inn owner Whitbread has said the budget hotel chain’s recovery in the past six months has been ahead of expectations. The hotel chain, which was battered by the sudden drop in tourism and overnight stays last year, has enjoyed a strong spike in demand since mid-May, Whitbread said in its interim results for the [...]
Burger King owner’s shares tumble on back of revenue update October 25, 2021 A lower than expected appetite for Burger King and Tim Hortons caused parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) to miss quarterly revenue estimates. While the company’s total sales jumped by 10.8 per cent the latest quarter after declining 5.4 per cent over the same period in 2020, the group continued to feel the impacts of [...]
London’s hospitality sector to lose £2.3bn as commuter numbers lag October 25, 2021 The slower return of commuters aboard trains could cost London’s hospitality sector £2.3bn, warned membership body Rail Delivery Group. Data from the group revealed that commuters into London are slower when it comes to getting back to the office, as on 41 per cent of pre-pandemic train commuters have returned, compared with 54 per cent [...]
Las Iguanas owner plots 50 new restaurant openings October 25, 2021 The operator behind Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge is to open 50 new restaurants as part of an investment topping £50m. As well as new venues, the Big Table Group said it planned to refurbish 70 sites over the next three years. Its growth plans will create 1,250 new jobs. Some £35m will [...]
Frieze 2021: An electric start to the new art season October 22, 2021 It is telling, though perhaps unsurprising, that in a time of expanding digital exhibition spaces, curators, artists, and collectors still value face-to-face contact provided by art fairs. Frieze is the best of them all to kickstart the new London art season, with its sculpture garden and two imposing marquees – Frieze London and Frieze Masters [...]
Covid rules easing: Medics call decision to re-open nightclubs in Belfast ‘complete madness’ October 22, 2021 Medics have said the Stormont decision to lift coronavirus rules despite mounting pressures on the health service is “complete madness.” Dr Tom Black, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland council, said the relaxations planned for the end of the month would ultimately lead to more Covid-19 deaths. He criticised the move as “stupidity” as he warned [...]
Used car prices skyrocket as UK inflation eases October 20, 2021 The UK average price of a used car has increased by 23.9 per cent this week as a result of September’s inflation rates easing to 3.1 per cent. Data from automotive advertising firm Auto Trader have also revealed that year-on-year prices quadrupled this week, especially if compared with the 5.7 growth recorded in the week [...]
High street faces £1bn business rates increase next year October 20, 2021 Business rates are anticipated to rise £1bn in England next year, unwelcome news for high street firms attempting to recover from the pandemic. September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) signals the amount business rates will leap next April, according to analysis from the Altus Group, the country’s largest rating advisory body. The CPI measure determines business [...]
Number of remote working vacancies drops 24 per cent after peaking at 130,000 October 20, 2021 After climbing to an all-time high of 130,000 in June, the number of remote working vacancies advertised has fallen to 99,000 in August, according to new data shared with City A.M. today. This is a significant drop of 24 per cent following months of climbing and suggests that businesses are returning to pre-pandemic ways of [...]