City A.M.’s Father’s Day Gift Guide June 15, 2020 It’s not your ‘normal’ Father’s Day this year: no Sunday roast and a pint in the pub, and a relatively simple trip home for a cup of tea now presents logistical challenges on a par with a military operation. In fact notonthehighstreet.com has found that lockdown is the longest nearly half of Brits have ever gone without seeing [...]
Shorter hours and portable loos: How London’s West End is reopening shops after lockdown June 15, 2020 The West End was one of the first areas of London to suffer the economic damage wrought by coronavirus, even before lockdown. By mid-February, people were already avoiding the usually bustling restaurants of Chinatown, following false reports that the disease could be caught more easily there. Now, after months of lockdown-induced hibernation, businesses across the [...]
How global markets will cope with a second wave June 13, 2020 Fears of a second wave of coronavirus have stubbed out hopes of swift economic recovery around the world, as the possibility of further lockdowns hangs heavy on global markets. While many countries seem to have a grip on the coronavirus crisis, the prospect of new infections in the US hinted in Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting [...]
City Pub Group posts strong results to weather coronavirus June 12, 2020 City Pub Group saw a strong increase in revenue in 2019, it revealed this morning, but suspended its dividend as the company bolsters itself against the potential impact of the coronavirus crisis. The figures The pub operator’s revenue surged 31 per cent to £60m in the year ended 29 December 2019, up from £45.7m the [...]
London’s businesses can lead a UK-wide economic recovery June 12, 2020 As the focus shifts from the immediate health crisis of Covid-19 to slowly easing the lockdown, the capital’s business leaders are committed to playing their part. Early this week, I brought together some of London’s most prominent businesses, representing all sectors of the economy, to map out solutions that support a business-led recovery. From Heathrow, [...]
Beer sales sink to 20-year low June 11, 2020 Beer sales in the UK slumped to their lowest levels for 20 years in the first quarter of 2020, as the lockdown continues to weigh on the hospitality industry. The figures Figures released today by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the largest brewing and pub body in the UK, showed that beer sales [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: England zoos and outdoor attractions reopened June 10, 2020 Zoos and outdoor attractions such as drive-in cinemas will be able to open in England from Monday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that the government would allow these businesses to open, with social distancing restrictions required. In the case of zoos, they will need to close all inside areas such as reptile houses and [...]
Two metre social distancing rule ‘would leave many small businesses unable to make profit’ June 10, 2020 Many of the country’s small companies will not be viable unless two metre social distancing rules are relaxed, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has claimed. Ahead of non-essential shops reopening next week, FSB chairman Mike Cherry this afternoon added to pressure on the government to cut the nationwide two metre rule, which has already [...]
Premier Inn owner scoops up almost £1bn to bolster against pandemic June 10, 2020 Whitbread investors have agreed to supply more than 90 per cent of its £1bn cash call, the Premier Inn owner announced today, as it attempts to beef up its balance sheet amid the coronavirus crisis. Existing investors scooped up 91 per cent of the discounted 1-2 fundraiser issued by the hotel group in a bid [...]
Restaurant Group to close 125 sites as it looks to cut costs June 10, 2020 The Restaurant Group has announced plans to close 125 of its sites, as the company seeks to push down rents to weather the financial storm of the coronavirus crisis. The closure, which puts around 3,000 jobs at risk, will mainly impact its Italian-American-themed Frankie & Benny’s chain. It marks a significant cut to the size [...]