60 Uber Eats and Deliveroo drivers arrested amid Home Office ‘crackdown’ on illegal working April 24, 2023 Some 60 fast food delivery drivers have been arrested across London as the Home Office cracks down on alleged illegal working. Gig workers employed through Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat were arrested between 16-21 April following a “week long crackdown” on illegal workers led by the Home Office. Following the arrests, the department said [...]
Only five UK retailers issued profit warnings in first leg of 2023, but experts warn of challenges April 24, 2023 Only five UK retailers raised concerns about their profits in the first leg of 2023. However, the sector has warned that challenges remain for shops and the high street. According to data by accountancy firm EY, the number of profit warnings issued by retailers fell by 44 per cent in quarter one compared to the [...]
Prezzo shuts 46 branches including four in London as 810 jobs put at risk April 24, 2023 Prezzo will shut 46 loss making sites across the UK including three in London and place 810 workers at risk of redundancy, as soaring energy and a hike in food costs rattle the business. The Italian restaurant chain, which is owned by private equity firm Cain International said that the closures will impact sites where [...]
THG shares soar 10 per cent as investors cheer the appointment of BAT’s Farr April 24, 2023 Shares in THG soared 10 per cent after the beleaguered e-commerce platform drafted in a director of British American Tobacco to help take it private. Sue Farr, the senior independent director (SID) of BAT sits on the board of a number of FTSE 100 companies including used car dealership Lookers and real estate company Helical. [...]
Lidl: Big on expansion with plans to open over 200 more stores across London April 24, 2023 Lidl said it was planning to open a further 200 stores across London as soaring food costs continued to drive demand for discount supermarkets. This morning Lidl released its list of priority locations for new stores across London and the wider UK, with some 247 locations across the capital highlighted as potential sites. Lidl, which [...]
Average house price rises to £366,000 as tenants look to escape rental crisis April 24, 2023 UK house prices jumped again in March, driven higher by soaring rents pushing tenants to seek out their first home, but further interest rate hikes by the Bank of England could send a chill through the market, new research out today shows. The average price of a property coming to market in Britain hit £366k [...]
Oxford Street on cusp of something really ‘special’, New West End chief says April 23, 2023 Oxford Street is on the cusp of something “really special” and “exciting”, the chief of the New West End company has said, as store development and a boost in international tourism signals a return to better times for London’s most iconic shopping district. Dee Corsi, who oversees operations for the retail strip which spans from [...]
Could Mega May save retail? Hopes are riding high on King’s coronation and bumper May Day bank holiday boost April 21, 2023 Could the coronation of King Charles III help lift the UK’s post-Covid retail industry? Our retail reporter Laura McGuire finds out. March has proved to be another challenging month for the retail industry as sales fell 0.9 per cent due to soaring living costs and the third wettest March in history. However, with Royal celebrations [...]
Retail: Sixth wettest March on record dampens sales as shoppers’ fail to weather inflation hike April 21, 2023 Retail sales fell 0.9 per cent in March as wet weather conditions and high inflation hit consumer spending during the month. Despite Mother’s Day falling within the month retail, non-food sales such as clothing and homeware, fell by 1.3 per cent as the sixth wettest March on record since 1836 deterred shoppers from hitting the [...]
Flat packing in the USA: Ikea invests £1.7bn in stateside arm April 20, 2023 Ikea will invest €2bn (£1.7bn) into the US market, its biggest investment into a single market to date, as the home furnishings giant looks to capitalise on the current economic climate. The flat pack retailer said it plans to open eight new sites in the US alongside nine planning studios and order points, The Financial [...]