Business rates relief snub costs Sainsbury’s £400m as profit slumps despite lockdown sales boost April 28, 2021 The last year saw most Brits spend up large at the supermarket, but despite a sales boom Sainsbury’s first quarter profit has slumped because it chose to say no to business rates relief. Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second largest grocer after Tesco , said it made an underlying pretax profit of £356m in the year to [...]
HSBC to trial ‘Zoom-free Fridays’ to combat fatigue May 10, 2021 HSBC is planning Zoom-free Fridays for some of its employees in a bid to tackle pandemic fatigue, following in the footsteps of other leading banks. Companies have been forced to reconsider working practices during the pandemic as the lines between home and work have been blurred as a result of lockdowns. A spokesperson confirmed it [...]
Retailers allowed to open 24 hours over Christmas period, says minister November 30, 2020 Retailers will be able to operate 24 hours during the Christmas period through a relaxation of trading rules in a bid to boost spending on the UK’s High Streets. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick wrote for the Telegraph that he wanted councils to temporarily waive rules that restrict the hours shops can stay open in the [...]
Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia facing collapse within hours November 30, 2020 Sir Philip Green’s retail empire Arcadia, which owns high street brands Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, is reportedly on the brink of collapse this morning. The retail group could become the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and appoint administrators as soon as this afternoon, City A.M. understands, which would put 13,000 jobs at risk. Mike [...]
Covid-19 app sensitivity to be reviewed, amid rising infections July 9, 2021 The sensitivity of the NHS Covid contact tracing app will be reviewed, amid a rise in alerts as infections surge. The NHS Covid contact tracing app used in England and Wales may need to change as coronavirus restrictions change, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. He said that the end of the one metre plus rule [...]
Jungle Cruise is a silly but entertaining Disney adventure July 28, 2021 Musclebound A-lister Dwayne Johnson has made his name in the movie business by making hits from unlikely source material. Reviving the Fast and Furious, GI Joe, and Jumanji franchises, his face alone is enough to make hits out of dodgy propositions. Skyscraper, San Andreas, arcade game adaptation Rampage: the list goes on. Can he work [...]
Grocery sales: Ocado on top as supermarkets snag 58m more visits as UK exited lockdown May 25, 2021 As the UK’s vaccination programme pushes on, supermarkets have enjoyed 58m more shopping visits in the first quarter of this year than last year, according to industry data released today. Supermarkets actually had more visits in the 12 weeks to 16 May, than when panic buying gripped shoppers at the start of the pandemic, market [...]
Next is frontrunner to rescue Topshop ahead of bid deadline tomorrow January 17, 2021 Next is seen as the frontrunner to buy Sir Philip Green’s Topshop empire out of administration. Earlier this month Next confirmed it is part of a consortium bidding for Arcadia brands, but said it was not seeking majority ownership of Sir Philip Green’s collapsed business empire. According to the Sunday Times Next faces competition from [...]
Sports Direct’s share price plunges as it delays results amid House of Fraser uncertainty July 15, 2019 Shares in Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct dived this morning after the firm pushed back the publication of its financial results. The retailer blamed the delay on troubles in its recently-acquired House of Fraser business along with increased regulatory scrutiny over auditor Grant Thornton’s inspection of its books. Read more: Sports Direct expected to post 20 [...]
Sports Direct hit by £605m Belgian tax bill and ‘terminal’ House of Fraser problems July 27, 2019 As Sports Direct finally released its financial results yesterday following the close of the market, Mike Ashley admitted it may have been a mistake to buy House of Fraser last year. The sporting goods retailer delayed announcing its results, which are usually released before the market opens at the start of the day, on three [...]