Corona Impact Series: How a small Wandsworth womenswear boutique embraced click-and-collect March 16, 2021 In this series, Morning Wire looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. This week: how a small Wandsworth womenswear boutique is bouncing back from the third lockdown thanks to the world wide web. Pre-pandemic, independent stores were thriving – popping up on local high [...]
Central London to get ‘half a dozen’ new Greggs stores following rent bonfire March 16, 2021 Half a dozen new Greggs stores will open up in zones one and two in central London, including in Canada, after falling rents in the capital made London spaces more attractive. Greggs reported its first annual loss today since listing on the stock exchange in 1984, after coronavirus restrictions forced store closures [...]
Greggs off to better start after swinging to first ever loss in 2020 March 16, 2021 Greggs said that it had made a stronger-than-expected start to 2021 after seeing sales slip back last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The impact of the pandemic meant the baked goods peddler swung to a £13m loss, a huge flip from the £108m profit it made the prior year. That beat the [...]
Iceland to launch new convenience store format Swift this week March 15, 2021 Iceland is preparing to unveil a new convenience store format, with the first branch set to open this week. The frozen food retailer will launch the Swift store concept in Newcastle on Thursday, according to reports. The store will be in a converted Iceland branch and will sell “the full spectrum of grocery” with a [...]
H&M sales pick up in March as some markets allow stores to reopen March 15, 2021 H&M announced that sales began to pick up in the first half of this month as coronavirus pandemic restrictions have lifted in some markets. Sales between 1 and 13 March were up 10 per cent in local currencies as many countries, including single-biggest market Germany, began to lift restrictions, allowing the retailer to open hundreds [...]
Gambling Commission chief Neil McArthur steps down amid sector review March 15, 2021 Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur is stepping down after less than three years in the role, the regulator announced today. McArthur has served at the commission for almost 15 years, joining as general counsel in 2006. He was appointed to the top job in April 2018. His surprise departure comes at a crucial time [...]
Pandemic essentials: Hand gel, dumbbells and loungewear enjoy consumer boost March 15, 2021 Hand gel, dumbbells and men’s loungewear bottoms are among the latest post-pandemic additions to Britain’s official consumer price index this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. Consumer habits have transformed throughout the pandemic, reflected in data from ONS which has, unsurprisingly, revealed a rise in casual clothing, home exercise equipment and travel-sized [...]
Covid-19: Forget the fashion pages, the ONS inflation basket tells us pandemic shopping trends March 15, 2021 Covid 19: Forget the fashion pages, the ONS inflation basket tells us pandemic shopping trends
Screwfix to open 50 new stores and create 600 jobs this year March 15, 2021 Screwfix is planning to open an extra 50 stores this year, creating around 600 new jobs, in response to the boom in demand for home improvements during the pandemic. The retailer, which is owned by B&Q parent company Kingfisher, will open 40 new branches in the UK, creating 500 jobs, and a further 10 in [...]
Exclusive: Business owners on how the recovery is playing out on the ground March 15, 2021 This morning it was announced that the rapid rollout of Covid-19 vaccines has led to business confidence hitting its highest levels in three years. According to IHS Markit’s global business outlook survey, business confidence now stands at +32 per cent, up from +26 per cent in October. The increase has been driven by the success [...]