Half-term havoc as British Airways cancel 175 flights following IT glitch May 26, 2023 Half-term holiday plans for thousands of families have been thrown into disarray after British Airways’ flight cancellations due to an IT failure reached 175. Most of the affected flights were on short-haul routes to and from Heathrow Airport. British Airways said the “technical issue” was resolved on Thursday night, but disruption continued into Friday because of aircraft [...]
New Year’s Eve in London: where to celebrate December 28, 2023 The pubs, bars and restaurants in London to celebrate New Year's Eve
Khan: Crossrail’s Bond Street station can revitalise “tired” parts of Oxford Street October 18, 2022 London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said the opening of Bond Street’s Elizabeth Line station next week will help revitalise a “tired” part of Oxford Street – and keep big-ticket retailers in the West End. The station is the last of the Crossrail stations to open, having been delayed due to the complexity of the build. [...]
Cost of living crisis: Grocery inflation up two per cent in just one month with shoppers forking out £800 more a year January 31, 2023 Grocery price inflation has hit a record 16.7 per cent to add a potential £788 to annual shopping bills, figures have shown. The “staggering” 2.3 percentage point jump in the four weeks to January 22 has exceeded the previous high recorded by analysts Kantar in October and is the highest figure since their records began [...]
Caffe Nero shrugs off inflation as Brits’ coffee habits drive sales of £150m January 30, 2023 Caffe Nero generated UK sales of £150m for the first half of the financial year, averaging 104 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and an increase of 17 per cent for the same period in 2021. The coffee chain added Deliveroo and Just Eat to its delivery partner service last year, which it said helped secure [...]
Transport secretary: Minimum service level laws not happening anytime soon December 7, 2022 The government’s legislation on guaranteeing minimum service levels during strike days will not be debated anytime soon, according to transport secretary Mark Harper. Introduced in Parliament following this summer’s rail strikes, the bill’s second reading hasn’t happened yet and can’t be expedited due to a perceived lack of cross-party consensus. The secretary also said the [...]
Hospitality pleads Chancellor for support amid ‘deja vu’ of mass cancellations reminiscent of March 2020 December 16, 2021 Pubs and restaurants have condemned the Chancellor’s “silence” over support measures for businesses after mass cancellations amid a surge in Omicron Covid cases. England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said the public should be considering “de-prioritising” certain social events in order to ensure they can visit family at Christmas. Fears of the highly transmissible Omicron [...]
Back to school: M&S freezes school uniform prices as retailer battles to entice cash strapped shoppers July 5, 2022 M&S has frozen its prices on school uniform this summer as households face tightening budgets amid historic rates of inflation. The premium retailer also said it was introducing a 20 per cent off deal for back to school shoppers this month. The retailer – which was set to hold its annual general meeting for shareholders [...]
TfL strikes £250m funding deal with government to become ‘financially sustainable’ December 18, 2023 TfL strikes deal with government for £250m funding after the network's future finances were left unclear in Autumn Statement
After four years, supply chain issues are easing – but it’s not all smooth sailing yet December 18, 2023 Global supply chain issues have finally eased, but if there's anything we've learnt, it's not to become complacent, writes Anne Sophie Fribourg