Eat Out to Help Out – the best restaurants taking part in the government hospitality scheme August 1, 2020 There was a time when dropping most of your disposable income on avocado on toast made you an idiot who will never be able to afford a house. Now it makes you a hero who will save the economy. It’s so vital that you start eating at restaurants again that, as of Monday, the government [...]
Byron saved from bankruptcy but 650 staff to be axed July 31, 2020 Burger chain Byron has been saved from bankruptcy this afternoon after it was bought by Calveton UK, with current investors taking a minority stake. However, more than half of the popular high street restaurant’s stores and employees will be axed as a result of the deal. Only 20 of Byron’s 51 restaurants will continue to [...]
Shakespeare: M&S loyalty scheme gives new spark July 31, 2020 High street retailer Marks and Spencer launched their loyalty scheme ‘Sparks’ in 2015, but customer feedback branded it confusing and hard to use. Even CEO Steve Rowe himself admitted it needed “substantial improvement”. Sparks has now been relaunched as a digital-first loyalty scheme offering members instant rewards. For example, one customer at every store will [...]
DEBATE: Is the plan to revitalise John Lewis likely to be a success? July 31, 2020 Is the plan to revitalise John Lewis likely to be a success? Emma Revell, head of communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says YES. Bricks and mortar retail was in decline well before coronavirus hit and large department stores were struggling to afford sky-high rents on their enormous buildings. By recognising the changes in [...]
Government imposes quarantine on travellers from Luxembourg July 30, 2020 The government has imposed a 14-day quarantine on people returning from Luxembourg after an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country. In a statement this evening, ministers said that from midnight tonight those arriving from the country would have to self-isolate for 14 days. It said that there had been “a consistent [...]
Matt Hancock: Quarantine could return as second wave hits Europe July 30, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock today warned the government could re-introduce quarantine to protect the UK as a second wave of infections begins to roll across Europe. “I am worried about a second wave,” Hancock told Sky News. “You can see a second wave starting to roll across Europe, and we’ve got to do everything we [...]
Wiley apologises for ‘generalising’ Jewish people in antisemitic tweets July 29, 2020 Disgraced rapper Wiley has apologised for “generalising” Jewish people after a string of offensive tweets, but has refused to acknowledge his comments were antisemitic. The British rapper went on a two-day Twitter tirade starting on Friday, calling Jewish people “cowards and snakes”, asserting they controlled the justice system and compared the Jewish community to the [...]
Pizza Hut hires advisers to explore insolvency agreement July 29, 2020 Casual dining chain Pizza Hut has reportedly hired advisers to explore a potential insolvency agreement, which could involve significant job cuts. Pizza Hut Restaurants has hired restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal to weigh up a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), Sky News reported. A final decision has not yet been taken but an insolvency agreement is [...]
Who will the PM hire as the press conference spokesperson? July 29, 2020 The Prime Minister today launched a search for a spokesperson to host White House-style daily televised press briefings, in a bid to boost government transparency during the pandemic. An advert for the job posted on the Conservative’s Linkedin page suggested that the successful candidate will be a well-known figure on the political circuit, and assured [...]
Boeing warns of further job cuts as coronavirus sends planemaker to $2.4bn loss July 29, 2020 Aerospace giant Boeing warned that it was considering further job cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic as the planemaker fell to a $2.4bn (£1.9bn) second quarter loss. In a letter to employees, chief executive Dave Calhoun wrote that the prolonged impact of the disease had caused “further reductions in our production rates and lower demand [...]