Troubled hospitality operators face rent debt pile of £5bn and business rates payments June 15, 2021 Troubled hospitality operators are facing billions of pounds in rent debt and business rates payments after the Government decided not to extend financial support measures. Trade groups have called for an extension to the rent moratorium, business rates holiday and furlough support after the Prime Minister said that the further easing of lockdown restrictions will [...]
Staff crisis in hospitality: Act now or risk being the next France June 15, 2021 The hospitality sector is in the midst of a staff crisis. We always knew that staffing would be a challenge with full reopening post-Covid, that not everybody would return to work after furlough. Many of our French and Italian staff went back home during lockdown and had decided not to return to the UK or [...]
Ikea France fined €1m for spying scheme and CEO found guilty June 15, 2021 A French court has ordered Ikea to pay a fine of €1m today after the retailer was found guilty of snooping on its staff and storing illegally obtained employee data. The furniture and home furnishing giant became the focus of a criminal probe in 2012, following reports of a widespread spying scheme that was used against employees. [...]
Pints and picnics: Euros and hottest day of 2021 boost pub and food spending June 15, 2021 Euros and hottest day of the year boosts pub and retail spending
Sales at H&M soar as restrictions ease but lag behind pre-pandemic levels June 15, 2021 Sales at H&M jumped in the retailer’s second quarter of 2021, however they remained well below the pre-pandemic sales recorded during the same period in 2019. Between 1 March to 31 May 2021, net sales at the clothing retailer grew 62 per cent in the period from a year earlier, or 75 per cent measured [...]
Dead centre of town: City looks to bring new life to cemetery cafe June 14, 2021 Fancy a thriller of a business opportunity? Canada Cemetery and Crematorium is looking for a new proprietor to refurbish and operate its on-site café for visitors and mourners. With the current five-year lease coming to an end, Canada Cooperation is accepting new proposals for the Gatehouse Cafe at the [...]
Footfall shrinks despite summer sun thanks to post-Bank Holiday blues June 14, 2021 Despite the UK being blessed with summer sun, footfall across all UK retail destinations last week was 18.4 per cent below 2019 levels. Meanwhile, Greater London has been hit by a 19 per cent drop in football, in comparison to highstreets the year before the pandemic, according to retail traffic counter Springboard. But in comparison [...]
Hospitality chiefs call for more clarity as ‘freedom day’ set for delay June 14, 2021 The owner of the Franco Manca Pizza chain David Page has warned the “lack of concrete delay” to the government’s lockdown easing roadmap is the biggest problem facing the hospitality sector. Boris Johnson is expected to announce a four week delay to so-called “freedom day” later today, just a week before the 21 June date [...]
Ted Baker turnaround slows, swallowing £278m revenue loss and sales dive June 14, 2021 Covid-19 restrictions curbed customer footfall and bag sizes, which has sent ripples through fashion brand Ted Baker over the last year as it invested in pandemic turnaround measures. The brand swallowed a revenue loss of £278.5m in the year to 30 January, down 44 per cent as it bagged £352m in total. Ted Baker also [...]
End of the party: A quarter of nightclubs set to close due to roadmap delay June 14, 2021 A quarter of nightclubs across the UK could shut permanently if the next stage of easing lockdown restrictions is delayed by another four weeks. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which represents clubs and bars across the country, said one in four businesses will not survive longer than a month without additional financial support. Half [...]
