Shop ’till you drop: Christmas spending up despite rampant inflation December 20, 2022 Shopping habits die hard as Brits continue to spend across the board in the run-up to Christmas and the holiday season despite historic levels of inflation raising prices. Spending on essentials is up by an average of 43.5 per cent compared to the same time last year, with non-essential expenditure also rising by an average [...]
Border force to walk out this week as Christmas chaos to hit UK airports December 19, 2022 Millions of Britons will need to brace for additional chaos during the festive season as Border Force staff at several UK hubs are set to down tools. Around 1,000 members of the union PCS will strike at the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick between 23 and 26 as well as 28 and 31 December after [...]
AA issues amber warning as 17 million cars to join Christmas exodus December 19, 2022 The AA has issued an amber warning for 23 and 24 December as 17 million drivers are expected to join the Christmas exodus. Routes linked to the M25 will carry most of the traffic – in particular interchanges connecting the M25 with the M3, M4, M1, M11, M20 and A1(M). Congestion – which will also [...]
Sainsbury’s adds 18,000 Christmas jobs in hiring spree November 2, 2022 Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has announced plans to hire 18,000 seasonal staff this year. The hiring spree includes 15,000 roles at Sainsbury’s, 2,000 at Argos and 1,000 in logistics. Temporary staff will work up until 7 January 2023 with roles including fixed term contracts of between three and 12 weeks. It comes as supermarkets are battling [...]
Retailers gear up to win battle for Christmas online shopping rush November 1, 2022 Retail giants are battling to entice cash-strapped consumers with a slew of online discounts and sales this year. Spending is expected to slip by up to half on Black Friday this year, against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis, Wunderman Thompson research has forecast. Online retailers are set to benefit from the crunch, [...]
The Works warns of cost of living impact on Christmas sales August 8, 2022 Stationery chain The Works has slashed its guidance for the 2023 financial year and warned about consumer spending amid the Christmas spending period. The London-listed company, which sells discount books, toys and art supplies, said the general market outlook had “deteriorated” since the start of the calendar year, pointing to “low consumer confidence and rising [...]
easyJet avoids French Christmas strike with eleventh-hour pay increase December 7, 2022 easyJet has prevented a strike in France over Christmas after offering a pay increase to cabin crew staff at the eleventh hour. The low-cost carrier has put on the table a 7.5 per cent salary increase in addition to a €3,000 bonus (£2,600), which was accepted by the French union SNPNC. “easyJet is pleased to [...]
Two in five small theatres could close this Christmas following sales slump December 6, 2022 Two in five small theatres in the UK could face closure as energy costs soar and Christmas sales tank. According to a new study by GoDaddy and the Society of Independent Theatres, three quarters of independent theatres – those with fewer than 300 seats – say their ticket sales have still not returned to pre-Covid [...]
London venues warn they will haemorrhage sales if rail strikes go ahead this Christmas December 5, 2022 London restaurants have warned they will haemorrhage sales should planned railway strikes go ahead this month, as union bosses rejected a new pay offer over the week. Searcys champagne bar and restaurant chain, which has venues at the Gherkin and St Pancras International station, said it was worried it would take a 30 per cent [...]
Christmas shopping: Sainsbury’s invests extra £50m into battling price inflation December 5, 2022 Sainsbury’s has announced it will pump an additional £50m into its cost of living value plan by March 2023. The supermarket said it has invested in a Christmas roast dinner at less than £4 a head, as part of a £15m investment plan to keep prices affordable on festive staples. Low prices and new special [...]