Corona Impact Series: How a Bethnal Green confectionery is baking up a storm online January 25, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. Today: The East London bakery which went entirely digital as the pandemic storm picked up. Before the pandemic, Steph Giordano, the founder of Bethnal Green bakery Baked by Steph, had been baking [...]
Pubs and restaurants struggle to pay rent due to lockdown restrictions January 25, 2021 Commercial landlords collected just 77 per cent of rent in the final quarter, as retail, leisure and hospitality firms struggled under the pressure of lockdown restrictions. The latest research showed that pub, bar and restaurant tenants paid 23 per cent of rent as sales were decimated by Covid-19 restrictions in the crucial Christmas trading period. [...]
Fashion victims: What next for the high street after Topshop and Debenhams go online-only? January 25, 2021 Topshop and Debenhams are set to disappear from the high street after e-commerce giants Boohoo and Asos swooped on the beleaguered retailers, reflecting the dramatic impact the pandemic has had on the UK retail sector. The decision to take former high street stalwarts Debenhams and Topshop digital-only strengthens experts’ predictions that the growth of online [...]
UK high street set for comeback after lockdown eased due to ‘pent up demand’, experts say January 25, 2021 The UK high street is set to bounce back after lockdown as the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions is expected to release a wave of pent up demand for in-person shopping experiences, retail experts have said. Data showed that footfall jumped dramatically in the first weeks after the first and second national coronavirus lockdowns, with shoppers [...]
Dr Martens to announce cornerstone investors in £3.5bn London listing January 24, 2021 Iconic footwear brand Dr Martens will launch a £3.5bn London listing tomorrow, with the retailer’s top management set to pocket multimillion-pound payouts. Dr Martens is expected to announce tomorrow that it has secured cornerstone investors when it publishes the prospectus for a share sale ahead of the initial public offering (IPO) next month, The Sunday [...]
Brexit friction should spark new ideas for retail exports January 23, 2021 Many retailers received a welcome boost during the Covid-19 crisis with a rise in online orders from international markets, but with exports to EU member states facing teething problems in the form of higher costs and processing delays, now’s the time for retailers to broaden their reach and tap into new markets further afield. Research [...]
Retail therapy: How has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way we shop? January 22, 2021 The lifestyle changes from Covid-19 were reflected in where people chose to spend their hard-earned cash in 2020, with local shops, fitness platforms and recipe boxes feeling the benefit of a year in the coronavirus pandemic.
Topshop set for discount sale price after Next pulls out of race, analysts say January 22, 2021 The bidders circling Sir Philip Green’s collapsed retail empire Arcadia could bag a good deal to buy Topshop, after Next – a frontrunner to rescue the firm’s “crown jewel” – pulled out of the race. Restructuring experts said Next’s exit from the sales process will put the other bidders in a stronger position, making it [...]
The Works suffers sharp sales drop over crucial Christmas period January 22, 2021 Arts and crafts retailer The Works suffered a sharp drop in sales in the run-up to Christmas after strict lockdown restrictions were put in place over the crucial trading period. The high street chain said this morning that total sales in the 11 weeks to 10 January declined 24.8 per cent, compared to the same [...]
Has Covid-19 changed the conversation around sustainable investing? January 22, 2021 Sustainable investing is not just about a company’s financial success, but how it achieves that success. The importance of considering all stakeholders is intrinsic to the approach. Those stakeholders range from employees to shareholders to wider society. The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on how companies treat their employees, protect their customers, and help [...]