Supermarkets reinstate rationing amid new Covid-19 restrictions September 25, 2020 British supermarkets have reinstated rationing on essential products after the UK was plunged back into fresh coronavirus restrictions. Morrisons yesterday became the first major supermarket to roll out new measures, saying it would limit purchases of products such as toilet roll and disinfectant to three per customer. The company said it had sufficient stock levels [...]
Asda to ‘Covid-proof’ trolleys and hire 1,000 safety marshals September 23, 2020 Asda has revealed a new investment plan to make its supermarkets Covid-secure, including the use of technology found in NHS coronavirus hospitals. The supermarket giant said it would appoint 1,000 new safety marshals stationed outside doors and in aisles, to make sure customers are wearing masks and maintaining a social distance from other shoppers. It [...]
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 [...]
We are on the precipice of a price war, and the losers will be workers September 11, 2020 James Reed argues that nobody stands to gain from a price war in the long run – least of all Britain’s workers. Over 100m meals were claimed on the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme last month, but the end of the measure on 31 August has left businesses in the hospitality sector split [...]
FTSE 100 edges into the green as Wall Street opens higher on tech bounce September 10, 2020 The FTSE 100 edged into the green as US stocks opened higher as a bounce in tech stocks overshadowed the high number of jobless claims. London’s blue-chip index climbed 0.19 per cent after spending most of the session in the red in anticipation of the ECB’s rates decision. The FTSE 250 of smaller-cap firms rose [...]
Morrisons profit sinks as Covid costs outweigh sales boost September 10, 2020 Morrisons today reported higher sales for the first half of the year but said costs related to Covid-19 safety measures had hit profit. The figures Morrisons reported total revenue of £8.73bn, down 1.1 per cent on the same period last year. But like-for-like sales excluding fuel rose 8.7 per cent. Statutory profit before tax fell [...]
Haulage firm Wincanton sees shares jump on home delivery surge September 9, 2020 Shares in logistics firm Wincanton jumped over 10 per cent this morning as the haulage specialist said that full year profit was on course to be “materially ahead” of forecasts. In a trading update, the FTSE 250 firm said that it had seen a “continued improvement in profitability in July and August, with a particularly [...]
Amazon to create 7,000 new UK jobs in latest expansion push September 3, 2020 Amazon today said it will create a further 7,000 new permanent roles across the UK, taking total new jobs this year to 10,000. The Silicon Valley tech giant has already added 3,000 jobs this year across its fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations. The new roles will be spread over 50 sites, including corporate [...]
Plastic carrier bag charge to double from April August 31, 2020 The price of plastic carrier bags will double from next Spring and extend to all shops in England, as the government ramps up its efforts against plastic pollution. The charge for single-use carrier bags will increase from 5p to 10p and small retailers – those employing 250 people or fewer – will no longer be [...]
Waitrose launches Deliveroo trial as Ocado partnership ends August 28, 2020 Waitrose has launched a partnership with Deliveroo as its deal with online supermarket Ocado comes to an end. The grocer said that more than 500 products will be available to order through Deliveroo as part of an initial 12 week trial. Customers will be able to order from stores in Bracknell and Clifton from Tuesday, [...]