Union slams Amazon over ‘hellish’ warehouse conditions February 18, 2020 More than 600 serious injuries or near misses have been logged at Amazon warehouses in the past three years, according to the latest figures from GMB Union. Between 2016/17 and 2018/19 a total of 622 reports have been made from Amazon warehouses to the Health and Safety Executive, the union said as it called for [...]
Hamilton promoter Reach 4 Entertainment jumps on higher forecasts February 18, 2020 Shares in Reach 4 Entertainment (R4E) jumped as much as 17 per cent this morning after the theatre marketing firm upped its forecasts for full-year trading. R4E, which runs marketing campaigns for West Ends shows such as Hamilton and The Lion King, said it expected to report revenue and profit “significantly” ahead of market expectations. [...]
Intercontinental Hotels sales in Hong Kong drop on protests February 18, 2020 Intercontinental Hotels has reported a slight dip in revenue per room in 2019, with the Holiday Inn-owner hit by a fall in bookings in Hong Kong due to the unrest in the territory. The hotel group, which operates 443 hotels in Greater China under various brands, said comparable revenue per available room (revpar) dipped 0.3 [...]
Fearing the wurst: UK to lose right to sell sausages to the EU after Brexit February 17, 2020 UK food manufacturers could be blocked from selling fresh sausages and mince to the EU after Brexit, a retail sector lobbying group has warned as Britain gears up for trading negotiations with the bloc. Non-member countries must obtain an export health certificate for products of animal origin to enter the EU, but no licence exists [...]
Surge in optimism for UK food sector but Brexit uncertainty lingers February 17, 2020 The UK’s food and drink manufacturing sector has reported a surge in optimism as it entered the new year as renewed political certainty boosted business confidence. Optimism jumped 29 percentage points in the final three months of last year compared to the first quarter of 2019. However, despite the outcome of December’s General Election, net [...]
Rapid expansion drives losses at hotel startup Oyo February 17, 2020 Indian budget hotel startup Oyo reported widening losses last year as it ramped up its international expansion. Losses deepened to $335m in the 12 months to 31 March, rising to 35 per cent of revenue compared to 25 per cent the previous year, driven by expansion in China. Meanwhile, revenue reached $951m in the year, [...]
Travelodge to open 20 new London hotels February 17, 2020 Travelodge will open 20 new hotels in London over the next five years as it seeks to fill a gap in the capital’s budget hotel sector. The company said it is currently actively exploring opportunities at 100 locations in 29 of London’s 32 boroughs, including Westminster, Kensington and Islington. The hotel operator, which already has [...]
Laura Ashley shares sink as £20m lifeline thrown into doubt February 17, 2020 Laura Ashley’s stock sank 41.54 per cent today after it warned its access to a £20m funding lifeline to keep it trading was in serious doubt. The retailer’s owner, Malaysian firm MUI Group, is now locked in discussions with lender Wells Fargo to secure enough cash to keep Laura Ashley trading. The asset-backed loan, agreed [...]
Budget 2020: Hospitality sector calls for business rates and apprenticeship levy reform February 17, 2020 The new chancellor is facing pressure from the UK hospitality industry to include plans to reform business rates and the apprenticeship levy in the upcoming budget. The industry’s trade body has urged Rishi Sunak – who was appointed as chancellor after Sajid Javid stepped down in last week’s cabinet reshuffle – to cut the business [...]
Coronavirus: F1 owner braces for £33m hit as Shanghai Grand Prix stalls February 16, 2020 Formula One has revealed that it risks losing its estimated $33m hosting fee for the Chinese Grand Prix if the authorities in Shanghai give the red light to the race over the coronavirus outbreak. The Chinese Grand Prix was due to take place in Shanghai in April but was postponed by F1 last week at the request [...]