Editorial: Christmas plans expose Government’s lack of strategy November 18, 2020 Only a true Scrooge would begrudge the Government’s reported plans to open up the country for a Christmas spectacular. But, well, here we are. Such a move betrays the fundamental lack of thought at the heart of the Government’s strategy – or lack thereof. The plan, as we understand it, is to allow for household [...]
FTSE 100 opens higher as China tariff waiver raises hopes of trade truce December 6, 2019 The FTSE 100 bounced back in early trading today as China’s decision to roll back tariffs on some US exports raised hopes of a pre-Christmas trade war truce. London’s blue-chip index was up roughly 0.8 per cent to 7,195.1 points this morning as traders reacted to developments in Beijing. Read more: Global growth to pick [...]
Government to set out post-lockdown plan next week November 19, 2020 The government will set out a plan for exiting England’s month-long lockdown next week, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson has said. Boris Johnson has repeatedly vowed the country will return to a “regional tiered approach” when lockdown restrictions are due to expire on 2 December. However, head of Public Health England Dr Susan Hopkins earlier this [...]
Business groups warn South Western Railway strikes will hurt Christmas trade November 6, 2019 Business groups have slammed the rail union’s planned December South Western Railway strikes, predicting they will cause major disruption to Christmas trade. Drivers and train guards from South Western Railway (SWR) are planning on walking off the job for 27 days in December. Read more: RMT union announces 27 days of South Western Railway strikes [...]
Time for Shop Out to Help Out the High Street August 4, 2021 As Coronavirus restrictions are lifting and the highly anticipated ‘freedom day’ has arrived, life may feel like it’s gradually getting back to normal – but for independent retailers, it’s another story entirely. With even the well-known high street stores in disarray, how do we expect the smaller independent businesses on our high streets to power through, [...]
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie review – fuzzy but heartfelt September 21, 2021 Everybody may be talking about Jamie, but it’s unlikely to be in a cinema foyer. Original studio Disney were intending a theatrical release until as late as May, when the film was sold to Amazon for its streaming service and a limited cinema run in the UK. The adaptation of the West End hit was [...]
JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs staffers return to London in droves April 6, 2021 Bankers at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have returned to their London offices in droves, as the UK continues to inch out of lockdown. Around 15 per cent of JP Morgan’s staff in the City – some 1,800 people – went into the office last week, up from about 10 per cent at Christmas. For [...]
Sainsbury’s bags Christmas sales rise after online shopping boost January 7, 2021 Sainsbury’s today posted a strong rise in sales over Christmas as a record number of customers bought their shopping online. The supermarket chain said like-for-like sales were up 9.1 per cent during the festive period, despite people holding smaller gatherings due to lockdown measures. The company said it sold smaller turkeys and more beef and [...]
The Matrix Ressurections: Just take the Blue Pill and skip this one December 23, 2021 You might be wondering why the long-awaited return of The Matrix is being released midweek, a few days before Christmas, lost in the shadow of Spider-man. While people of a certain age will remember the 1999 original as a game changer, 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions ended the trilogy on a sour note, with a historically [...]
Second national lockdown to drive Black Friday sales down 20 per cent November 23, 2020 The introduction of a second national lockdown will push Black Friday sales down 20 per cent as consumers wait for shops to reopen to bag a bargain. Nationwide Building Society predicted a drop off in spending on 27 November, compared to a previous forecast of a 12 per cent increase, due to the month-long lockdown. [...]