McDonald’s to cut prices following government VAT break July 14, 2020 McDonald’s has announced it will slash prices after the government announced a VAT cut, as the fast food giant gears up to open for dine-in customers for the first time since March. McDonald’s said it had recommended that franchisees reduce prices on meal deals and classic products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with [...]
Boohoo shares continue downward spiral amid sales slump warnings July 14, 2020 Boohoo shares continued to slump this morning after more than three days of losses, following allegations of poor working conditions in the fast fashion firm’s garment factories that have weighed on analysts’ sales forecasts. Shares slumped 17.7 per cent to 230p yesterday, after hovering around the 410p mark for the majority of June. Investors continued [...]
Consumer spending surges as lockdown restrictions end July 14, 2020 Brits rushed back to the shops in June after lockdown restrictions ended, prompting the biggest jump in sales since May 2018 as consumers indulged in some much-needed retail therapy. According to new data from the British Retail Consortium, total sales rose 3.4 per cent in June in the first month of growth since lockdown measures [...]
Crypto trading volumes plummeted in June, but Altcoins are moving up July 14, 2020 This week the price of Bitcoin (BTC) started trading around $9,200 and quickly moved up to $9,450. A potential rally was rejected close to $9,500 and BTC’s price then moved back down to $9,150, but it has since recovered back to $9,300. Ether (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, had a similar price performance [...]
Face coverings to be made compulsory in shops in England July 14, 2020 Face coverings are to be made compulsory in all shops in England from 24 July, with a fine of up to £100 for those who do not comply, the government is expected to announce today. Since May, the public have been advised to wear face coverings in enclosed meeting spaces, but they have only been [...]
What are “accidental savers” doing with their surprise savings? July 14, 2020 Lockdown restrictions have curbed spending, resulting in higher savings in the UK. Some of this has found its way into the financial markets; actively managed responsible investment funds have been the biggest beneficiaries. The words “accidental” and “saver” don’t often appear in the same sentence together. Saving usually takes some effort and requires sacrifices and [...]
Revenue soars at Ocado during lockdown July 14, 2020 Retail sales for the first half of 2020 for online grocer Ocado jumped 27 per cent to £1bn, as Brits did their supermarket shopping from home. The group reported a loss before tax of £40.6m in the six months to the end of May, citing an increase in investment to handle increased demand as a [...]
John Lewis to join Primark in rejecting government jobs retention bonus July 13, 2020 Department store chain John Lewis is expected to join Primark in rejecting the government’s offer of a job retention bonus. The chancellor last week announced that firms could claim a £1,000 bonus for each worker they bring back from furlough and continue to employ until at least January. John Lewis, which last week announced the [...]
Boohoo shares plunge as major shareholder dumps stock July 13, 2020 Boohoo shares continued last week’s downturn this morning, slumping as much as 15.4 per cent as the decision by one of the fast fashion retailer’s biggest shareholders to dump the majority of its stock continued to spook investors. Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA), the UK’s largest listed asset manager, on Friday sold off shares in the [...]
Derwent London to sell two Soho properties to Travelex founder July 13, 2020 Property developer Derwent London has inked a deal to sell two properties in Soho to Travelex founder Sir Lloyd Dorfman’s family property interests for £40.5m. The sale includes the long leasehold interest on 2 and 4 Soho Place, part of Derwent’s Soho Place development scheme, which is due to be finished in 2022. The deal [...]