Shepherd Neame swings to a loss ahead of new hospitality restrictions November 4, 2020 Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame swung to a loss in the last financial year due to the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. The pub chain posted a loss before tax of £12.1m in the year ended 27 June, compared to profit of £3.5m the previous year. Turnover dropped from £145.8m to £123.6m, reflecting the three [...]
Fitness industry rolls orange tank into Parliament Square in lockdown protest November 4, 2020 Fitness firms sparked chaos this morning after driving an orange tank through Westminster to protest the sector’s closure during the upcoming lockdown. Among the protesters was former England rugby international James Haskell, who was filmed releasing orange smoke from the armoured vehicle in Parliament Square. The disruptive stunt, which was organised by fitness brand Grenade, [...]
John Lewis axes 1,500 head office jobs November 4, 2020 John Lewis has announced it will axe a further 1,500 jobs as part of its plan to return to profit. The retailer said this morning that it will cut the head office roles by April next year, in a move that will save £50m as it targets £300m in cost reductions by 2022. It will [...]
Mercato Metropolitano reopens as police reverse closure decision November 4, 2020 Food hall Mercato Metropolitano will open today after police reversed their decision to force it to close early ahead of the new lockdown. Earlier today the venue announced that it had been ordered to close until further notice by police after its last customers left at seven minutes past the 10pm curfew time on Monday. [...]
Hong Kong private equity firm acquires majority stake in footwear retailer Clarks November 4, 2020 Hong Kong private equity firm Lionrock Capital has confirmed it will acquire a £100m majority stake in high street footwear retailer Clarks. The deal is dependent on Clarks securing shareholder approval for its restructuring plan, which will allow the retailer to close stores and move to a turnover-rent model. Lionrock Capital will acquire a majority [...]
Marks & Spencer posts first loss in firm’s history November 4, 2020 Marks & Spencer posted its first loss in 94 years as a publicly listed company as clothing sales collapsed due to the coronavirus crisis. The high street stalwart reported a £87m pre-tax loss for the first half of the year. In the same period last year it made a profit of £158.8m in the same [...]
Ahold Delhaize launches €1bn share buyback as Covid-19 boosts sales November 4, 2020 Supermarket giant Ahold Dehlaize today said it will launch a €1bn (£896m) share buyback as it posted a rise in revenue for the third quarter. The retailer, which operates grocery chains across the US and Europe, said the buyback will begin at the beginning of 2021 and marked the strength in its business model. It [...]
CHEERS: ‘Click-and-collect’ pints allowed during lockdown November 3, 2020 “Click-and-collect” and phone orders of alcohol will be allowed from pubs and microbreweries during England’s second lockdown. Conservative MP Richard Holden tweeted that takeaway orders will be allowed even as pubs and restaurants close in new restrictions. “Delighted to be able to confirm – “Click-and-collect” & phone orders of alcohol will now be allowed from [...]
Lockdown: M&S rolls out shopping slot booking service to stop queuing chaos November 3, 2020 Marks & Spencer (M&S) has completed the rollout of its online reservation service to allow customers to book a shopping slot before visiting a physical store
Fortnum & Mason hires former John Lewis and Matches Fashion exec as new CEO November 3, 2020 Fortnum & Mason has appointed a former John Lewis and Matches Fashion executive as its new boss. Tom Athron will join the Piccadilly department store on 1 December, to replace current chief executive Ewan Venters who will step down in January 2021. Athron was most recently the chief operating officer of luxury fashion website Matches [...]