Some businesses to be eligible for exemption to self-isolation rules July 20, 2021 Businesses will be able to apply for exemptions to the government’s self-isolation rules amidst fears the so-called pingdemic will cripple the economy. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said vital businesses that maintain the supply of food or medicines, like supermarkets and pharmacies, could be eligible for the exemption. It comes as up to 1m people [...]
High street could see yet more closures over unpaid rent May 30, 2021 Two-thirds of retailers have been told by landlords that they will be subject to legal measures from July, as an agreement with commercial landlords comes to an end. The high street could see yet more closures in the near future, as from 30 June, a moratorium agreed at the start of the pandemic that prevented [...]
Premier Foods calls on government to deploy army amid severe lorry driver shortage July 2, 2021 Mr Kipling manufacturer Premier Foods has called on the government to consider using the army to distribute goods to help relieve a severe shortage of truck drivers that could see supermarket shelves left bare. Last week industry leaders warned Britain could face gaps on supermarket shelves this summer and an “unimaginable” collapse of supply chains [...]
RAC accuses petrol retailers of taking ‘drivers for a ride’ as prices rise despite plummeting wholesale costs December 3, 2021 RAC slammed petrol retailers today for raising prices in November despite plummeting wholesale costs on both major oil benchmarks.
UK retail lobby: Self-isolation policy will lead to ‘critical impact’ due to ‘pingdemic’ July 18, 2021 The UK’s retail sector lobby has warned that England’s current self-isolation policy will lead to serious disruption to businesses, with millions of people set to be told to self-isolate in the coming weeks. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said “something’s got to give” or “we will see some more critical impacts over the [...]
Food could be about to get more expensive after more muted price falls in May June 2, 2021 Prices in shops fell again in May, as bargain hunters benefitted from lower prices, however price rises could be on the cards in the near future, the BRC has warned. Shop prices fell 0.6 per cent year-on-year last month, marking the slowest rate of price declined since February 2020. On average, in the last six [...]
Troubled hospitality operators face rent debt pile of £5bn and business rates payments June 15, 2021 Troubled hospitality operators are facing billions of pounds in rent debt and business rates payments after the Government decided not to extend financial support measures. Trade groups have called for an extension to the rent moratorium, business rates holiday and furlough support after the Prime Minister said that the further easing of lockdown restrictions will [...]
Test and trace: One in five High Street workers now in self-isolation July 13, 2021 Hospitality and retail chiefs warned MPs today that a record one in five high street workers are self-isolating due to government pandemic tracing rules, and the situation could worsen. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade group UKHospitality, told MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee that firms have forecast that a third of [...]
Pingdemic: 1 in 5 NHS Covid app users have turned contact tracing off July 20, 2021 1 in 5 NHS Covid app users currently have their Bluetooth or contact tracing turned off on their phones, as more than half a million people were “pinged” into isolation last week. As the Delta variant rips through the UK and most restrictions lift, a third of Brits using the NHS app have admitted to [...]
NHS app self-isolation tracker could change if Covid cases see a summer spiral July 8, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hinted that the way the NHS app ‘pings’ people for self-isolation could change as Covid-19 cases are expected to rise over the summer. Businesses have become increasingly frustrated with high staff absences due to employees being told to self-isolate. “I’ve spoken to the Health Secretary about this and he’s aware of [...]