Sunday papers: Face mask wearing and one metre-plus rule to end on 19 July July 4, 2021 Enforced mask wearing will end and social distancing will no longer be required as part of “freedom day” unlocking on July 19, reports have suggested. Boris Johnson is understood to be preparing to update the nation this week on his plans for easing coronavirus restrictions in England, with multiple newspapers suggesting the Prime Minister believes [...]
Amazon, Starbucks and Ikea among retailers demanding new laws against violence in shops July 4, 2021 A total 100 of the UK’s major retailers, including Aldi, Costa and Primark, have called upon the Prime Minister to help tackle escalating abuse and violence against retail workers. In a letter to Boris Johnson, the retailers asked him to support an amendment to the Police, Crime and Sentencing and Courts Bill that they believe [...]
Easing of lockdown restrictions expected to slow growth at online retailer Ocado July 2, 2021 The easing of lockdown restrictions is expected to have slowed down soaring retail sales growth at Ocado as the online retailer unveils it latest trading performance next week. It was among UK grocery firms to see sales spark amid strong demand for home deliveries after the Government enforced lockdown restrictions and forced hospitality operators to [...]
Given the boot: Clarks accused of ‘fire and rehire’ staff strategy to cut costs July 2, 2021 Shoe firm Clarks has been accused of attempting to fire and rehire workers to reduce the terms and conditions for more than 100 employees at its distribution centres. The Community union said negotiations on new terms had broken down, claiming the company is pushing for its employees to accept a reduction in the hourly wage, [...]
Premier Foods calls on government to deploy army amid severe lorry driver shortage July 2, 2021 Mr Kipling manufacturer Premier Foods has called on the government to consider using the army to distribute goods to help relieve a severe shortage of truck drivers that could see supermarket shelves left bare. Last week industry leaders warned Britain could face gaps on supermarket shelves this summer and an “unimaginable” collapse of supply chains [...]
Asda adopts permanent hybrid working for office staff July 2, 2021 Staff at Asda head offices will be able to choose where they work on a permanent basis even Covid restrictions are eased and working from home guidance is dropped. The change means around 4,000 staff, most of whom are based in Leeds, will be able to work more flexibly on a permanent basis. Asda said [...]
Haribo latest company to sound alarm on lorry driver shortages July 2, 2021 Brits could soon find it difficult to get their hands on Haribo’s famous gummy sweets, as a shortage of lorry drivers has left the German confectionary giant struggling to get its products to UK shops. Haribo told wholesale and retail customers it had a number of problems in the supply chain and was “working flat [...]
Behind the scenes at the Decanter World Wine Awards July 2, 2021 There you are, browsing bottles and trying to decide what to buy next, when you notice a sticker telling you that this is a “Decanter World Wine Awards Winner”. Well, we all love a winner, but what does that really mean? And should we care? I went behind the scenes at the Decanter Awards to [...]
UK hospitality sector calls for changes to test and trace system July 1, 2021 Hospitality trade association UKHospitality has called for an immediate review of the government’s test and trace isolation guidelines. It says current measures are “massively disruptive” to the sector. The body says existing staff shortage problems are being “compounded” by staff being told to self isolate. It says the current system can lead to whole teams [...]
Business committee writes to CMA over private equity takeover concerns July 1, 2021 A spate of recent private equity interest in the UK’s supermarkets has prompted the chair of the parliamentary business committee to question whether the competition watchdog has sharp enough teeth to deal with such bids. Over the weekend, buyout specialists Clayton, Dubilier & Rice made an unprompted £5.5bn offer for Morrisons, which rejected the bid. [...]