Coronavirus: Ocado closes website down as demand soars March 18, 2020 Online supermarket Ocado has closed its website for several days as it grapples with a surge in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The delivery company said it is temporarily shut until 21 March in order to “complete essential work” to make product and delivery slot distribution as “fair and accessible” as possible. In a [...]
Pizza Express agrees £70m loan facility March 18, 2020 Pizza Express has agreed a £70m loan with HPS Investment Partners amid a difficult time for casual dining chains as customers were advised to avoid eating out to stop the spread of coronavirus. The new super senior facility agreement will be used to repay in full and cancel its £20m existing revolving credit facility and [...]
Italian luxury brand Prada warns over coronavirus impact on sales March 18, 2020 Luxury fashion house Prada said today that all of its efforts will be directed to overcoming the financial damage done by coronavirus. Prada reported strong growth in the year to the end of January, but said the outbreak “interrupted [its] growth trajectory”. The Italian designer brand said today that it expects the epidemic to have [...]
Coronavirus: B&Q owner Kingfisher to negotiate rent payment terms March 18, 2020 B&Q owner Kingfisher is preparing to negotiate its rent payment system with landlords as it tries to save cash amid the coronavirus crisis. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix Direct, will ask to pay rents across its 950 UK stores on a monthly basis, rather than each quarter, Sky News reported. Retailers are increasingly facing cash [...]
Selfridges shuts after London staff test positive for coronavirus March 18, 2020 Luxury department store Selfridges has closed its doors after three members of staff contracted coronavirus. The retailer, which yesterday said it was planning to cut hours, announced this morning that its four stores across London, Birmingham and Manchester will close this evening. This morning the department store said that three employees at its flagship Knightsbridge [...]
Marston’s scraps £20m dividend to save cash amid coronavirus crisis March 18, 2020 Shares in pub chain Marston’s jumped 43 per cent this morning as it outlined its coronavirus battle plan, which included cutting a £20m dividend. The company said that the need for social distancing as a measure to combat the spread of the virus means it is “unlikely” that it will recommend an interim dividend in [...]
Glastonbury 2020: What do I do if I booked a ticket? March 18, 2020 Glastonbury Festival 2020 has become the latest victim of the coronavirus crisis, with organisers this morning announcing that the iconic summer event had been cancelled. In a joint statement, Worthy Farm owners Michael and Emily Eavis said cancellation was the “only viable option” after the government urged people to stay at home. The festival will [...]
Glastonbury Festival cancelled due to coronavirus March 18, 2020 Glastonbury Festival has been postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the event’s organisers confirmed today. The festival, which was due to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, said cancelling the event was its “only viable option” after the government urged people to stay at home. The world-famous music festival was scheduled for 24-28 [...]
Coronavirus: Supermarkets ramp up measures to keep shelves stocked March 18, 2020 Supermarkets have ramped up measures to keep shelves stocked amid panic buying and stockpiling during the coronavirus crisis. Tesco has reduced opening hours to allow staff more time to restock shelves and Waitrose has applied limits to some items. This morning the Waitrose website is down as it has been unable to cope with the [...]
Wagamama owner Restaurant Group warns of huge coronavirus sales hit March 18, 2020 The owner of restaurant chain Wagamama today warned the coronavirus crisis will almost halve its sales over the first six months of 2020. Restaurant Group told investors to prepare for a 45 per cent plummet in sales for the first half of the year due to UK measures to contain Covid-19. The government has warned [...]
