The Week Ahead: Look out for GDP data, Ocado, AstraZ, Twitter and Ted Baker February 8, 2021 Start your week informed: here are the announcements and results to look out for this week. UK GDP: A double dip recession is looming After a fairly decent third quarter, and an expansion of 16 per cent, the UK economy has had a much more troubled fourth quarter, with the likelihood that we may well [...]
No-and-low alcohol spirits are here to stay, so do it in style January 29, 2021 Dry January has always been a challenge, but 2021 has made going sans alcohol even harder. If you have stuck with it this far – through Zoom meetings, home-schooling, and an inescapable sense of existential dread – then you deserve a treat in this final weekend of the month. We’re already well-versed in low- or [...]
Tory MP slammed after telling anti-vaxxers NHS figures are ‘manipulated’ January 28, 2021 A Conservative MP has faced condemnation from government ministers after he told an anti-vaccination campaign group that NHS statistics are being “manipulated” and that we are living in a “police state”. Sir Desmond Swayne told Save Our Rights UK, which organised the anti-lockdown rally in Trafalgar Square last September, to continue their fight against lockdown [...]
Insurers need to capture the Covid-19 zeitgeist and go beyond expectations January 21, 2021 As a communications professional, you rarely want your client and the words “the Supreme Court” to appear in the same sentence. However, last week, the justices issued a 112-page judgement on the Financial Conduct Authority’s appeal asking for “clarification” on whether insurance companies were required to pay business interruption claims for companies which had been [...]
In memoriam: Ian Taylor 1946-2020 January 16, 2021 Ian Taylor, who died in June of last year, ran Vitol for two decades. He was well-liked in the City not just for his business acumen, but for his philanthropy – which, it was revealed last week, continued after his death. Bloomberg reported he left £1m to the Royal Opera House and significantly more than [...]
More than 200 jobs axed after M&S deal to buy Jaeger fails to save stores January 15, 2021 More than 200 high street jobs have been axed after womenswear brand Jaeger collapsed, resulting in the closure of its 63 stores. Marks & Spencer has acquired Jaegers stock and marketing assets but the retailer’s stores and concessions were not part of the deal. In total 211 store staff and 22 head office employees have [...]
Barilla buys British fresh pasta maker Pasta Evangelists January 14, 2021 Barilla said on Thursday it had bought a majority stake in Britain’s Pasta Evangelists, re-entering the fresh pasta market and boosting its digital offering at time when the pandemic is driving demand for home deliveries of food and drinks. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the deal, but two sources close to the [...]
Sazka taps former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King for National Lottery bid January 14, 2021 European lottery group Sazka has tapped former Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King to advise on its bid for the UK National Lottery licence. King, a veteran retail executive who also serves as vice chairman of private equity firm Terra Firma, is the first appointment to a new advisory board working on Sazka’s tender. He will [...]
Retail tycoon Philip Day secures deal to save Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s future January 12, 2021 Billionaire businessman Philip Day has reportedly secured a deal with overseas investors to rescue retailers Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Home and Bonmarche, in a move that could save around 2,500 jobs. Day is expected to use his secured creditor status to acquire the brands’ assets from administrators to then sell them on to Middle Eastern [...]
Marks & Spencer buys Jaeger out of administration January 11, 2021 Marks & Spencer today confirmed it has bought fashion brand Jaeger, which collapsed into administration last year. The retailer has agreed to take over the Jaeger brand, and is finalising terms to buy up stock and marketing assets. The deal will not include any stores, and it is unclear whether any jobs will be saved. [...]