UK coronavirus lockdown: Sports Direct asks if staff count as key workers March 24, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will now remain closed unless the government gives them permission to stay open during the UK coronavirus lockdown. Bosses earlier claimed the stores are vital to the health of the nation, giving staff so-called key worker status. Under new measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last [...]
Best of 2021: Hamlet at the Young Vic December 30, 2021 Playing Hamlet is still seen by many as the pinnacle of an acting career. When we think of the greats in the role we think of John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ian McKellan (twice, as of this summer). But Cush Jumbo inhabits the part so brilliantly in this new production at the [...]
Waitrose ranked best UK supermarket in annual Which survey February 22, 2020 Waitrose has been ranked as the best supermarket in the UK in an annual satisfaction survey conducted by Which. The chain, which is owned by John Lewis, hit five stars on most categories, but did come joint-last in value for money. Budget supermarkets Aldi and Lidl continue to be ranked highest in terms of value. [...]
Retail park sold in £50m deal for online warehousing space January 6, 2020 A retail park owned by M&G’s shuttered property fund has been bought for more than £50m to be converted into warehouses. The deal indicates the growing dominance of online retail which requires large amounts of warehouse space to service customers. The 128,000 sq ft Ravenside retail park in Edmonton north London was reportedly acquired by [...]
Inflatable unicorns and flamingoes are the hit of the summer sales, according to John Lewis’ data | City A.M. July 16, 2018 It appears the heat has gone to our heads. Is there no end to the kitsch tiki bars taking over terraces up and down the nation? Will we ever tire of parrots, flamingos and pineapples? Incredibly, kitsch is in this summer and we know that because of cold, hard data. Every week, John Lewis’ best [...]
Amazon strengthens dominance of UK e-commerce market December 10, 2019 Online retail giant Amazon increased its dominance of the UK e-commerce market this year, according to the latest research. Amazon boosted its market share from 28.8 per cent in 2018 to 30.1 per cent this year, accounting for $30bn in sales. Read more: Amazon nets Champions League rights The next largest player in the UK, [...]
‘Clerical error’ wipes out Dixons Carphone’s sales growth January 21, 2020 Dixons Carphone was left red-faced today as it admitted that its sales growth figure actually represented a decline. The retailer updated the stock market on its Christmas trading figures this morning, telling investors it had enjoyed a two per cent rise in reported sales. However, six hours on Dixons Carphone reversed the number into a [...]
From John Lewis to Jaguar: The companies Brits most want to work for May 24, 2018 John Lewis has been ranked the company Brits would be most proud to work for, in a new YouGov poll. The high street stalwart was followed by M&S, Mercedes-Benz and then Jaguar. The polling giant asked the public whether they would be proud or embarrassed to say that they work at a business, and this [...]
Investors brace for rocky week of geopolitical tension January 5, 2020 Investors are bracing themselves for a rocky week’s trading which will be dominated by heightened tensions in the Middle East and feature a key US jobs report and many companies’ financial results. Traders started 2020 in a buoyant mood on Thursday of last week, with equity indices rising considerably. The US’s assassination of Iranian general [...]
Marks & Spencer to axe 7,000 jobs within three months amid pandemic August 18, 2020 Marks & Spencer is set to slash 7,000 jobs by December in a huge restructuring brought about by the pandemic, it said today. The high street giant, which was struggling prior to coronavirus, will focus the cuts in its central support centre, regional management and UK stores. It comes on top of 950 job cuts [...]