Retail footfall down 80 per cent in May amid coronavirus lockdown June 15, 2020 Retailers suffered a decline in footfall of more than 80 per cent in May, as the coronavirus lockdown kept consumers at home and shops shuttered across the country. Footfall plunged 81.6 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium. This was a shallower decline than in April, however, [...]
Unilever to invest €1bn in climate-focused fund June 14, 2020 Consumer giant Unilever will today reveal a dedicated fund to combatting climate change, with a total investment of €1bn to be spent over the next decade. The investment will be made across all of its brands, which include household names such as Ben & Jerry’s, Knorr and Vaseline. Named the Climate and Nature Fund, Unilever [...]
Boohoo gears up for row over chief executive’s £1m pay packet June 14, 2020 Fast fashion chain Boohoo is preparing for a potential investor revolt this week over a £1.04m payout to its chief executive. In a report issued to shareholders, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended that investors vote against the group’s proposed remuneration policy. The advisory group said no explanations were provided by Boohoo for the size of [...]
Oxford Street braces for just 20 per cent of usual footfall when shops reopen June 13, 2020 Shops on London’s usually bustling Oxford Street are bracing themselves for as little as one-sixth of their usual footfall when they reopen on Monday. Coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease on 15 June, allowing retailers on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and others to fling open their doors for the first time since March. However, Jace Tyrrell, chief [...]
Aldi extends Deliveroo online grocery trial to London store June 12, 2020 Discount supermarket Aldi will extend its trial of delivering groceries to people’s homes via Deliveroo to include a store in Camden, London. Aldi, Britain’s fifth largest supermarket, launched a trial of the delivery model last month over eight outlets in the Midlands. It said the initial trial had gone well, and that it would therefore [...]
Music retailer HMV to reopen stores across England on Monday June 12, 2020 HMV is to reopen its stores on Monday, with a series of social distancing measures coming into place. The music retailer, which also owns Fopp, said it would reopen 93 stores across England and Northern Ireland on 15 June. The remaining 15 HMV stores across Scotland and Wales will reopen when further government guidance is [...]
Which retailers are reopening as the coronavirus lockdown lifts? June 12, 2020 After two months of being closed during the coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s high streets are coming back to life. Across the board, retailers across the country are working out how to get their businesses going again – and what measures they need to take to keep people safe. So what shops can customers expect to open [...]
Games Workshop coronavirus recovery going ‘better than expected’ June 12, 2020 Warhammer maker Games Workshop struck an optimistic tone this morning, as it said its recovery since reopening stores around the world has been better than expected. Shares in the London listed company rose 6.5 per cent this morning as it said it expects sales for the year to the end of May to be about [...]
Government faces fresh calls to relax two-metre rule to save hospitality industry June 12, 2020 The government should relax the two-metre social distancing rule, overhaul business rates, and create an Autumn bank holiday if it wishes to help businesses recover from the coronavirus lockdown, according to MPs and representatives from the hospitality industry. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism today said that companies in the hospitality industry had [...]
Waterstones to reopen stores in England from Monday June 11, 2020 Waterstones will start to reopen its stores in England from Monday, after closing for nearly three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bookseller has outlined a number of measures to ensure the safety of customers and employees alike. Waterstones said given the varying size of branches, it may limit the number of customers shopping [...]