Oprah-backed startup Oatly raises $1.4bn in stock market debut May 20, 2021 Swedish vegan milk startup Oatly, which is backed by US talk show star Oprah Winfrey, has raised $1.4bn (£987m) in its initial public offering in New York. The company, which is also backed by Natalie Portman, Jay Z and former Starbucks boss Howard Shultz, today said it priced 84.4m shares at $17 each — the [...]
Morrisons online sales continue to soar despite lockdown easing May 11, 2021 Morrisons said online sales have continued to soar this year despite the lifting of lockdown restrictions. In an update this morning the supermarket chain said online sales were up 113 per cent in the 14 weeks ended 9 May compared to the same period last year. Internet sales helped boost group like-for-like sales excluding fuel [...]
Pret a Manger plots Tesco store launch in bid to shake off City image May 11, 2021 Pret a Manger is planning to open stores in Tesco supermarkets as it looks to shrug off its reputation as a hotspot for office workers. The trial partnership marks efforts by the coffee chain to broaden its appeal, with boss Pano Christou saying he wanted to “bring Pret to the people”. Its first concession will [...]
Heathrow calls for green list expansion as passenger numbers sink by 92 per cent May 11, 2021 Heathrow Airport has called for an expansion to the travel green list in the next government review in three weeks’ time, including the United States, to boost trade and reunite friends and family. The number of passengers passing through Heathrow Airport was down by 92.1 per cent in April, compared to pre-pandemic figures. After the [...]
‘Butiful sheese’ – the tasty tang of success from the Scottish Isles May 7, 2021 Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that Bute Island Foods has won a 2021 Queen’s Award forinternational trade for the range of vegan cheese they manufacture. Maybe so, but more likely though, it is recognition of an excellence and appeal that has finallymatured since the company’s formation in 1988. Despite being around for thousands [...]
Shopper numbers surge as stores reopen but retail footfall lags behind pre-pandemic levels May 6, 2021 The number of shoppers visiting UK retail destinations surged last month as non-essential stores were able to reopen for the first time in months. However, despite the spike caused by the lifting of lockdown restrictions, retail footfall in April remained 32.7 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. It was an improvement from the [...]
Tesco, M&S and John Lewis among UK retail giants to threaten Brazil boycott over Amazon deforestation May 5, 2021 UK retail giants including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis have threatened to boycott Brazillian agricultural commodities over the deforestation of the Amazon. In an open letter published today the retailers said they will take action if Brazil’s government passes a law expanding property rights for squatters on public land. Campaigners have warned that [...]
Serious Fraud Office ends investigation into Airbus individuals May 4, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has ended a criminal investigation into individuals associated with Airbus, after it agreed to a record €3.6bn global settlement 16 months ago. Three sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters the SFO had written to former suspects to say it would take no further action. Overseas prosecutors could, however, take [...]
India’s Covid crisis makes Barclays and other banks to shift call centre operations back to UK May 3, 2021 Barclays has announced it will shift some of its Indian call centre operations back to the UK as staff in the South-Asian country are struggling to cope with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. A range of other UK and US banks and companies are mulling to do the same, according to multiple media reports in India [...]
London ranked most optimistic UK city for career prospects April 30, 2021 Londoners have been crowned the most optimistic about their career prospects, according to research by LinkedIn, as the City emerges from a third national lockdown. LinkedIn’s latest research has found that 68 per cent of people in the capital are feeling optimistic about their job chances. Across the rest of the country, 61 per cent [...]