Bosses call for Covid isolation period to be cut as health agency warns this could be ‘counterproductive’ January 4, 2022 Iceland boss Richard Walker has called for the isolation period for Covid patients to be slashed to mitigate staff absences. Absences at the supermarket chain have risen more than 70 per cent in a week, jumping from 1,000 to more than 1,700, the managing director tweeted. The isolation period is set at a minimum of [...]
From price inflation and Brexit rows to Evergrande and Biden v Putin: Here are the market risks to watch this year January 4, 2022 The world is a pretty turbulent and unpredictable place at the moment, with Covid variants not making life easier. From tensions between Russia and the US over Ukraine’s NATO membership to Brexit conflicts and China’s Evergrande property scandal, 2022 is set to become everything but dull. So what developments and issues could disrupt or disturb [...]
Nike world’s most valuable apparel firm, behind Gucci and Louis Vuitton January 4, 2022 Nike has been rated as the world’s most valuable apparel firm despite its recent challenges with its supply chain amid Covid restrictions. The US firm hit a $30.44bn valuation in 2021, data presented by Finance PR has highlighted. The footwear and clothing giant reported pandemic-related supply chain challenges last year, after it was forced to [...]
Strict new Brexit transport rules make UK businesses ‘give up’ on EU imports: ‘Simply not worth the hassle’ January 4, 2022 Many British businesses may “give up importing” as a result of new strict rules that came into force on Saturday, on 1 January, a former senior civil servant in charge of Brexit planning has warned. Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) between 2017 and 2019, said [...]
Savile Row tailor placed into liquidation as quest for buyer fails January 4, 2022 The parent company behind London’s iconic men’s tailor Gieves & Hawkes has been put into liquidation after failed attempts to woo potential buyers. FTI Consulting and R&H Services have been appointed as joint liquidators for the 250-year-old brand, alongside its sister brands Kent & Curwen and Cerutti, according to The Times newspaper. The newspaper reported [...]
Post-Christmas slump: UK shopper numbers fall 15 per cent in a week January 3, 2022 UK shoppers shirked the high street in the week following Christmas as concerns about the the rapid spread of omicron continued to bite.
Staff shortages could force business closures in the New Year January 3, 2022 Businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors are being hit hard by staff absences as Omicron surges according to industry chiefs.
SME crisis: Late payment of invoices and spiralling costs threaten survival of more than 400,000 small businesses January 3, 2022 Paying invoices too late is threating the survival of hundreds of thousands of small firms, a businesses group warned this morning. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) fears that late payments, high inflation and mounting administration for firms that trade internationally could see numbers shrink if something is not done about these issues. Of the [...]
4,000 people held on cruise ship outside Lisbon after Covid outbreak despite none of the passengers testing positive January 3, 2022 More than 4,000 people are being held aboard a cruise ship in the Portuguese capital Lisbon after a Covid-19 outbreak infected crew members, according to multiple media reports in the Spain and Portugal. Portuguese media reported that 52 members of the crew of more than 1,000 workers tested positive. However, none of the nearly 3,000 [...]
Annual spending on ethical products soars past £100bn for first time December 31, 2021 British shoppers spent more than £100bn on ethical products and investments last year, as the twin crises of the pandemic and climate change prompted significant lifestyle changes. Plant-based food, and products, and secondhand clothes, furniture and even cars saw demand surge in the last year with ethical spending rising to £122bn in 2020 – up [...]