Liverpool mayor rejects plans to shut pubs and restaurants across north of England October 8, 2020 The mayor of Liverpool has come out against potential plans for any further restrictions across the north of England, such as pub and restaurant closures. Steve Rotheram called it “deeply disappointing” that new Covid-19 restrictions could be in place from Monday. “At the moment we have a patchwork of local measures across the country and [...]
Imperial Brands revenue flat as pandemic drives smoking pick up October 8, 2020 Tobacco giant Imperial Brands said that it expected full year revenue to be broadly flat, with the pandemic driving up demand for cigarettes. In a trading update, the FTSE 100 firm said the increase in demand had offset weaker duty free sales, which fell due to the restrictions on international travel. The announcement sent shares [...]
Ecommerce platform Clearbanc injects £500m into British startups October 8, 2020 Ecommerce investor Clearbanc has announced its plans to invest £500m into British SMEs over the next year as part of its UK launch. The alternative capital platform, founded by Canadian Dragons’ Den star Michele Romanow, will use its AI platform to invest in British online startups to help with future growth. Clearbanc has already invested [...]
Pubs and bars in row over late night levy as 10pm curfew sinks sales October 7, 2020 Pubs and bars have urged the government to scrap a tax on late night openings after it emerged many venues are still being charged despite being forced to close at 10pm. The late night levy is charged by some councils on venues selling alcohol between midnight and 6am as a way of paying for additional [...]
Just Eat Takeaway shareholders back Grubhub deal but reject US chief’s pay October 7, 2020 Shareholders of online food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway have approved its proposed $7.3bn (£5.6bn) acquisition of US rival Grubhub, but rejected a pay package for the company’s US chief executive. The group agreed to buy Grubhub in June in an all-share deal that would make the combined group the biggest food delivery company outside [...]
Nicola Sturgeon slaps indoor booze ban on Scotland October 7, 2020 Nicola Sturgeon has banned the sale of alcohol indoors in Scotland’s hospitality venues for 16 days in a bid to curb a second spike in Covid. From Friday, hospitality venues will only be able to open indoors between 6am and 6pm, and will not be able to serve alcohol in these settings. Hospitality venues in [...]
Greene King to close pubs as 10pm curfew cripples sales October 7, 2020 Pub chain Greene King is preparing to permanently close 26 sites, putting hundreds of jobs at risk of redundancy, due to a sharp drop in sales exacerbated by the 10pm curfew on hospitality venues. It has launched a consultation process with 800 employees over the potential job cuts, Sky News reported. The company is seeking [...]
Get the Keirs in? Starmer calls for review of 10pm curfew October 7, 2020 Sir Keir Starmer has called for the government to review its 10pm curfew on pubs, restaurants and bars if it cannot provide any scientific evidence for its effectiveness. The Labour leader said at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today that parliament and the public “deserves to know” if there is a scientific basis for the restriction [...]
Frasers Group launches charm offensive to boost reputation over treatment of staff October 7, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group today launched a charm offensive against shareholders and the City over the firm’s treatment of workers, which has previously been the subject of intense scrutiny. Speaking at this morning’s annual general meeting, non-executive chairman David Daly said the firm’s elevation strategy, which has seen it target a high-end retail reputation, also [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group urges investors to back employee bonus scheme October 7, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has urged shareholders to back an employee bonus scheme, which would require the retailer’s share price to triple before workers receive a payout. Ahead of this morning’s annual general meeting, the firm, which has come under fire recently over reports that staff were asked to work while on furlough, called on [...]
