Liberal Democrats secure coronavirus briefing with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey July 12, 2020 Liberal Democrat MPs will get a briefing from Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday in order to get a more “realistic” view of the British economy. The closed door meeting will give the party’s 11 MPs a chance to quiz the Bank of England boss about the UK’s economic recovery prospects and the [...]
Primark set to reject Treasury’s furlough bonus payment July 12, 2020 Primark will reportedly reject a £30m bonus handout unveiled in the Chancellor’s summer statement. The retailer has said it will not claim the £1,000 payment for every worker it brings back from furlough, according to the Sunday Times. Last night gambling firm William Hill also reportedly indicated it would also reject the furlough bonuses worth [...]
Nasdaq hits all-time high after data shows record jobs growth in US July 2, 2020 Wall Street surged on Thursday, with the Nasdaq hitting an all-time high as strong US jobs data and renewed hopes of a coronavirus vaccine buoyed equities. The FTSE 100 also rose on optimism over a possible vaccine, ending the session 1.34 per cent up. The midcap FTSE 250 added 1.04 per cent. Read more: Primark [...]
Primark owner shares surge as traders welcome ‘encouraging’ reopening July 2, 2020 Shares in Primark owner ABF jumped 4.5 per cent this morning after the firm issued a positive trading update over its chances of bouncing back from the coronavirus pandemic. Although group revenue at Associated British Foods (ABF) dropped 39 per cent in the third quarter, led by a collapse in sales at high street fashion [...]
Next and M&S show that consumer behaviour isn’t set in stone July 1, 2020 Non-essential shops reopened on 15 June and most leisure attractions are due to reopen on 4 July, indicating a return to some resemblance of normality. There were long queues when high street favourites like Primark reopened, but have 12 weeks of lockdown changed the shopping habits of the British people? New YouGov data suggests that [...]
Retailers pay less than 15 per cent of rent for June quarter as property crisis deepens June 25, 2020 Britain’s retailers paid just 13.8 per cent of their rent for the last quarter, in a sign of how hard the coronavirus pandemic has hit the sector. Rent receipts on 24 June, the day commercial tenants’ payments were due for the quarter, were even lower than those three months ago, according to commercial property management [...]
Sadiq Khan urges PM to make face masks compulsory in shops as well as public transport June 18, 2020 Sadiq Khan has urged the government to force people to wear face masks in shops and other confined public spaces. The mayor of London wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson this morning, calling for an extension to the rule which requires people to wear face masks on public transport. He said: “With lockdown easing, it’s [...]
High street footfall jumps 50 per cent as shops reopen for business June 15, 2020 Britain’s high streets have enjoyed a 52 per cent jump in footfall this morning, after shops opened their doors for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March. So-called non-essential retailers reopened this morning after the much-anticipated easing of lockdown measures by the government. According to Springboard data, footfall across all retail destinations [...]
Shops reopen to long queues as social distancing measures come into force June 15, 2020 Retailers this morning flung open their doors to the public for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March. People formed long queues outside Primark outlets in London and Birmingham this morning before the shops reopened at 8am, in a signal that despite fears that footfall would be low initially, there was [...]
Boohoo gears up for row over chief executive’s £1m pay packet June 14, 2020 Fast fashion chain Boohoo is preparing for a potential investor revolt this week over a £1.04m payout to its chief executive. In a report issued to shareholders, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended that investors vote against the group’s proposed remuneration policy. The advisory group said no explanations were provided by Boohoo for the size of [...]