Coronavirus
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Jan- 2022 -5 January
Daily testing for 100,000 key workers to be introduced
Up to 100,000 key workers in England will be required to take daily Covid tests from 10 January in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, the prime minister announced last night (4 January). The PM said the daily testing will target key industries, including food processing, transport…
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Dec- 2021 -21 December
Sunak unveils £1bn support package for Omicron-hit businesses
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further £1bn support package for businesses impacted by the new Omicron variant. As part of the support, businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises. There will also be more than…
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17 December
Consumer confidence falls in December amid Omicron fears
Pre-Christmas consumer confidence has fallen one point to -15 in the UK, according to GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index, as the impact of the latest Omicron variant takes hold on shoppers. The headline figure, which is actually two points lower compared with the same period last year, comes as two measures…
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Nov- 2021 -29 November
Mandatory face coverings return in shops amid new variant fears
The government announced over the weekend the return of mandatory face coverings in all shops and on public transport after two cases of the new Omicron variant were found in England. From 4am on Tuesday 30 November, face coverings will be compulsory in shops and other settings such as banks,…
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5 November
£1.2bn to be spent in West End this Christmas, says NWEC
Despite a “strong recovery in footfall”, West End retailers are facing a “challenging festive period” due to the continued absence of high spending international travellers, with the New West End Company predicting just £1.2bn being spent this Christmas. The latest figures from NWEC, which represents 600 retail, restaurant, hotel and…
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2 November
SMEs to ‘keep calm and carry on’ despite rising costs, study finds
The majority of SMEs are “grateful” to be in business and generating revenue despite the increased costs, and are prepared to accept up to a 20% drop in revenue, according to a report by MarketFinance. It revealed four out of five (79%) SMEs have faced increased prices from suppliers over…
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Oct- 2021 -11 October
Consumer confidence hits lowest level this year
Consumer confidence has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but still hit its lowest point in 2021 following “record” highs earlier this year, according to PwC’s latest consumer confidence index. While inflation, ongoing concern over supply chains and empty shelves caused a slight decline in optimism, consumer confidence was +3 on the…
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Sep- 2021 -2 September
Staycations boost footfall recovery in August
Staycations helped footfall improve in August by around a quarter from -24.2% in July to -18.6% in August, with the gap from the 2019 footfall level reducing to less than -20% for the first time since the start of the pandemic. According to the latest data from Springboard, Footfall declined…
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Jul- 2021 -27 July
Footfall rises 3.3% but ‘pingdemic’ slows growth
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose by 3.3% last week from the week before, however the hot weather and cautiousness around the ‘pingdemic’ slowed growth throughout the week. According to the latest figures from Springboard, footfall rose in all three destination types, but it revealed that the 4.1% increase in…
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26 July
Bira backs ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has said it will back a new campaign launched by Refundable, a consumer membership brand, to introduce a ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme. According to the group, the campaign, similar to the Eat Out to Help Out scheme launched last summer for the…
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