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Five key considerations for retail businesses re-opening stores

Necessary to tackle the growing spread of Coronavirus, the decision to place various national and regional markets into lockdown has had a profound and crippling economic impact on many retail businesses. Whilst demand has grown for those with strong e-commerce arms, for those reliant on physical instore sales the economic…

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Coronavirus treatment hopes push stock markets up, and ‘Spoons to reopen in June

Investors are chirpy this morning amid hopes of a new coronavirus treatment that has been described as promising by the USA’s top infectious disease official, Dr Anthony Fauci. The experimental drug, called remdesivir, is produced by an American biopharmaceutical firm called Gilead Sciences, and is reckoned by US regulators to…

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Will coronavirus permanently change millennials and Gen Z retail habits?

Bushfires decimating Australia, the fraught finalising of Brexit, and a global virus pandemic – so far, 2020 has been a year of challenges. For the UK’s older teenagers, the already turbulent world around them has become even more uncertain. Any plans to begin higher education or full-time employment have been…

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The aviation industry is now in very serious trouble

In a sign of just how distressed the aviation industry is, British Airways has announced plans to lay off 30% of its workforce, or about 12,000 employees, and says it expects it to take several years before passenger volumes return to 2019 levels. The chief executive, Alex Cruz, wrote to…

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Twin peaks: it’s a time of peak purchasing, but not as we know it

Purchasing in the time of Covid-19 is fuelled far more by necessity than luxury, and it’s an unprecedented peak the retail industry is rapidly trying to adjust to. These aren’t indulgent puddings to follow your Christmas spread, or a fun new gadget you’ve treated yourself to because the Black Friday…

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Job support to be wound down, M&S dividend suspended, ventilator production slows, property market halts

Chancellor Rishi Sunack says he will wean the economy off his support schemes in a “gradual” wind-down, to help prevent soaring unemployment on ‘expiration day’. His announcement, made to MPs, came in response to concerns that a definite cut-off date would produce an explosion in redundancies and layoffs. Currently, the…

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Furlough – what next?

The Government’s Job Retention Scheme was set up urgently to support employers and protect employees during lockdown. Such state intervention, unprecedented in the UK, is designed to facilitate a quick rebound of the economy once business activity resumes. But as the crisis drags on, the lockdown has already been extended…

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Lockdown to persist says Johnson, clergy weigh in on behaviour of corona-corporations

The PM is back at his desk and says the lockdown must continue for the foreseeable future, and it would be premature to consider lifting now. After having been struck down with COVID-19 himself – and ending up in intensive care – the premier has finally convalesced and spoke from…

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How the supply chain might look after Covid-19

Strategy changes  For many, we are likely to see a re-assessment in supply chain strategies. Reliance upon global supply chains will reduce, particularly on single sourcing of components, raw materials and finished products. Subsequently, this could also potentially lead to more positive encouragement of domestic production, manufacturing and farming where…

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Retail landlords reined in, France gets touch on tax havens, and insurers face biggest ever payouts

The government has banned landlords from using winding-up orders against their retail tenants, after aggressive rent collection tactics which threaten the future of retail businesses came to light. Tens of thousands of businesses in both retail and hospitality have found themselves unable to keep up with their rent during the…

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