London lockdown: Will the City’s small businesses survive new restrictions? October 15, 2020 Small firms in Canada have spent the summer in lockdown trying to survive and adapt to the government’s coronavirus regulations. Pubs, shoe repair shops, barbers, dry cleaners and cafes have battled to survive the initial forced closure during lockdown, followed by a sharp decline in City footfall as most office workers remained [...]
Dame Sharon White: It is too early to predict the end of the high street October 15, 2020 Dame Sharon White has said it is too early to sound the death knell of the British high street even as she outlined further plans for the John Lewis partnership to move online. Speaking to the Times CEO summit, White said the “death knell for the High Street is rather premature”, just months after cutting [...]
Boots sales drop 30 per cent as shoppers dodge high street October 15, 2020 British chemist Boots suffered a near 30 per cent drop in sales in the fourth quarter of the year as consumers stayed away from the high street despite the coronavirus pandemic easing slightly. Sales dropped 29.2 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier. However, the figures were an improvement on the previous [...]
Dunelm to repay furlough cash after sharp rise in sales October 15, 2020 Dunelm has announced it will repay furlough money to the government following a sharp rise in sales as consumers have increased spending on homewares during lockdown. The company said total sales jumped 36.7 per cent to £359.1m in the 13 weeks to 26 September as it continued to gain market share in the “buoyant” homewares [...]
London lockdown: Tier 2 restrictions the ‘death knell’ for hospitality sector October 15, 2020 The government’s announcement that London will be placed under a Tier 2 lockdown this week is the “death knell” for the capital’s struggling hospitality sector, industry bodies have warned. Care minister Helen Whately told London MPs this morning that the city will move from Tier 1 to Tier 2 on Friday night. The new restrictions [...]
Franco Manca owner Fulham Shore spots expansion opportunities in coronavirus chaos October 15, 2020 Fulham Shore, the owner of restaurant chains Franco Manca and The Real Greek, is eyeing expansion due to the low rents and empty venues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The firm said this morning that “the future looks promising” as more sites become available and with rents “likely to be falling for the next few [...]
Ocado’s depot plans halted by North London residents October 15, 2020 Ocado has lost the right to build a new delivery hub in north London after campaigners successfully lobbied the council to halt plans. Islington Council has withdrawn the site’s certificate of lawfulness to open the distribution centre next to Yerbury school, accusing Ocado’s landlords, Telereal, of providing “false and misleading evidence” and “withholding material information” [...]
Heineken fined for forcing pubs to stock ‘unreasonable’ amounts of beer October 15, 2020 Heineken’s pubs division has been slapped with a £2m fine for forcing its tenants to stock “unreasonable levels” of its own beers and ciders. The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) ruled that Star Pubs & Bars, which operates the pub estate business of Heineken in the UK, had “seriously and repeatedly” breached the pubs code over [...]
Marston’s cuts 2,150 jobs due to new coronavirus restrictions October 15, 2020 Pub chain Marston’s has put 2,150 jobs at risk of redundancy following the introduction of new three-tier coronavirus restrictions. The government announced the new local lockdown system earlier this week, with most pubs in areas placed in the highest tier of restrictions expected to close. Marston’s said the introduction of the new rules is “hugely [...]
Return of live sport after lockdown pushes Domino’s sales to £342m October 15, 2020 The return of televised live sport after lockdown saw Domino’s sell an extra 600,000 orders in the third quarter, pushing sales to £342.1m. The pizza chain reported an 18.7 per cent jump in UK and Ireland sales for the 13 weeks ended 27 September, with orders also boosted by the increase in UK staycations over [...]
