Thousands of Tesco distribution workers to strike before Christmas as unions warn of empty shelves December 6, 2021 Thousands of disgruntled Tesco distribution workers across the country are to strike in the run-up to Christmas. Up to 5,000 Tesco workers in the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) could take part in industrial action while some 1,200 workers in union Unite are also preparing to strike. Members of both unions are [...]
Sainsbury’s tells staff to delay Christmas parties until next year as UK Omicron cases top 300 December 6, 2021 Sainsbury’s staff have been asked to delay their Christmas get-togethers until next year amid fears of staff shortages. The request came following the return of mask rules to shops and public transport networks last week, following the arrival of new coronavirus variant Omicron in the UK. “We have asked all of our teams to postpone [...]
West End landlord points to new signings as proof of post-lockdown recovery December 6, 2021 West End landlord Shaftesbury has signed over 60 new retail and leisure brands since October 2020, in a vote of confidence for central London’s post-lockdown recovery Bosses said this interest highlights the speed of the West End’s recovery following the lifting of pandemic restrictions. Some 33 retail brands including American Eagle and Aerie have set [...]
$61bn push for supply chain control: Amazon builds 10,000 containers as it charters long-haul planes and private cargo ships December 6, 2021 E-commerce Amazon remains largely unaffected by the global supply chain crisis as it is increasingly taking control of the entire supply chain. The company is building its own containers, and has “quietly” been hiring long-haul planes as well as private cargo ships, according to a CNBC report this weekend. Its 53-foot containers are manufactured in [...]
End of 100-year family ownership: £325m offer from WeBuyAnyCar owner accepted by Marshall board December 6, 2021 The board of Marshall Motor has said it will accept a £325 million takeover offer from the private-equity backed company behind WeBuyAnyCar. Marshall said that it thought the terms offered by Constellation Automotive were “fair and reasonable”. “Following careful consideration of both the financial terms of the offer and Constellation’s stated intentions regarding the conduct [...]
Forced Covid quarantine in hotel breaches human rights, argues returning London couple as they launch legal challenge December 6, 2021 Coronavirus hotel quarantine is a “fundamental breach of human rights”, according to a London couple returning from South Africa. Today, Owen Hancock, 35, and Emily Mennie, 30, were due to enter hotel quarantine on their return from a break in South Africa. They say they were left stranded when the country was added to the [...]
Halfords boss urges government to do more to address skills gap as shortage of mechanics starts to bite December 6, 2021 A shortage of specialist mechanics is interfering with Halfords’ agenda to rapidly grow the number of electric cars on Britain’s roads to such an extent that the boss of the company has called on government to do more. Graham Stapleton, chief executive of the retailer and motoring services business, said he is “very concerned” that [...]
Travel industry in shock: Pre-departure tests for all UK arrivals from Tuesday December 4, 2021 Everyone arriving in England from abroad will be required to take a Covid-19 pre-departure test from 4am on Tuesday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said this evening. The pre-departure tests will have to be taken a maximum of 48 hours before departure and will apply to all travellers arriving in the UK, regardless of their departure [...]
2,200 branches: Owner of Boots plotting £10bn sale of 172-year old pharmacy chain December 4, 2021 The parent company of Boots is reportedly considering putting the pharmacy chain on the market next year, according to news reports this morning. US retail giant Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is lining up advisers from Goldman Sachs to explore a potential sale of the pharmacy, Sky News wrote. City PM understands that a potential valuation [...]
London publisher the Folio Society bought by employees for £10m December 2, 2021 London publisher the Folio Society has announced that its 40 employees have bought the company for £10m, in what its bosses called a “progressive, industry-leading” move. The publisher – which has released recent titles including Frank Herbert’s Dune; Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple – will now be totally owned [...]
