Aldi becomes fourth supermarket to return business rate relief December 3, 2020 Aldi has become the forth supermarket to return the full value of the business rate relief it has received during the pandemic. Aldi will pay back more than £100m to the government and devolved administrations. The decision follows pledges from Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s to do the same, which will pay back £585m, £230m and [...]
There’s a new type of leader in town: Agile, decisive, and interested in more than their own voice November 27, 2020 The turbulence of 2020 has provided a new lens through which to look at our leaders, prompting a rethink of what leadership should look like in the Covid era and beyond. Over the past nine months, leaders have had to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, sweeping technological changes, worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, and of course [...]
The good, the bad, and the orange: In search of the perfect 2020 Christmas ad November 24, 2020 To call 2020 a “garbage fire” of a year would not be unfair. This year has turned people’s worlds upside-down in so many ways. But at least a few things remain a constant presence in life — one of which is the return of the blockbuster Christmas TV advert. While the advertising budgets look a [...]
The best wine to drink with your lockdown roast November 18, 2020 After a brief Indian summer it looks as though things are on the turn in the UK. A change in temperature and government-enforced house arrest mean we have only one thing to look forward to this weekend: the mega roast. One of the many tragedies of the pandemic has been its impact on some of Britain’s great producers, with many relying on restaurants as their route [...]
Guinness recalls non-alcoholic stout over safety concerns November 11, 2020 Guinness has urged customers not to drink its new non-alcoholic stout due to a microbiological contamination. The brand, which is owned by drinks giant Diageo, recalled its Guinness 0.0, saying the product may not be safe to consume. Guinness’ alcoholic stout is not affected by the contamination issue. It told customers to return the non-alcoholic [...]
Waitrose pledges to keep meat and fish counters open as rivals shutter services November 11, 2020 Waitrose has this morning pledged to keep its meat, fish and deli counters open, taking on the supermarkets that have shuttered the services to cut costs amid falling demand. The up-market grocer said it is committed to the long-term future of its food service counters, and is planning to expand its meat and fish range [...]
Christmas shoppers flock to toy shops ahead of second Covid-19 lockdown November 10, 2020 Toy and entertainment retailers reported a surge in shopper numbers in the days leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as Brits snapped up Christmas presents ahead of the closure of non-essential stores. The latest analysis showed that toy stores more than doubled their share of pre-pandemic footfall between Monday and Wednesday last week. But one [...]
Wincanton to restart dividend payments on strong outlook November 5, 2020 Logistics firm Wincanton announced that it would restart paying dividends today on top of bullish forecasts for its financial outlook. Although profit shrunk from £26.2m to £19.1m in the first half of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the FTSE 250 firm said that it expected its full year results to be “materially ahead” [...]
Snakes and Ladders: Who is moving jobs in the City this week? November 4, 2020 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Firms are continuing to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic as they vie to be in prime position to recover from the economic fallout of the crisis. This week, [...]
Deliveroo taps JP Morgan as it steps up London float preparations November 3, 2020 Deliveroo is said to have appointed bankers at JP Morgan as it steps up preparations for an initial public offering in London next year. The food delivery app has added the Wall Street bank to its line-up of advisers alongside Goldman Sachs, Sky News reported. Deliveroo, which was founded in 2013 by Will Shu, is [...]