Coronavirus
Coronavirus covers the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the UK retail industry. This section explores how retailers have adapted to shifts in consumer behaviour, operational disruption, and regulatory change. Retail Sector’s Coronavirus coverage includes news, analysis, and commentary on supply chain challenges, workforce management, financial recovery, and digital transformation, providing retail professionals with insight into how the sector continues to rebuild and evolve in the wake of the pandemic.
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Mar- 2020 -27 March
Tesco sets 80 item limit for online orders
Tesco has announced that from today (27 March) it will be limiting the number of items customers can put in online shopping baskets to 80. The move will enable the supermarket giant to “reach more customers, with more deliveries” as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. The group said that…
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27 March
What we know about furlough leave and the CJRS
HMRC published details of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) on 26.3.20 which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme Key points include: Employees that employers can claim CJRS for For the purposes of CJRS, the definition of employee would include workers and agency workers provided they are subject to PAYE i.e. this…
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27 March
Co-op fills 5,000 roles in one week
The Co-op announced it has filled 5,000 temporary store roles it created last week in just seven days after an “unprecedented response” to the recruitment drive. The 5,000 new employees will have all been inducted to the group’s network of stores by this weekend. The retailer said that those who…
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27 March
Next and TK Maxx halt online operations
Retail giants Next and TK Maxx have both announced the temporary closures of their online operations amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Next announced it had made the “difficult decision” to temporarily close its online, warehousing and distribution operations for the foreseeable future The retailer said that it had “listened very…
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27 March
River Island shuts distribution centre
River Island has announced the temporary closure of its distribution centre in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The fashion retailer said that the move would help to protect its teams and “make sure they can do the right thing to keep their families and community safe”. The group said…
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26 March
Self-employed to get 80% income grant
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the government will pay self-employed people a taxable grant based on their previous earnings over the last three years, worth up to 80% of earnings, and capped at £2,500 a month. Sunak said it will run for a minimum of three months, with scope for…
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26 March
Schuh closes online operations
Schuh has announced that it has taken the steps to close its website as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. The shoe retailer said it had taken the step to shut down its online operations as it takes time to “understand the latest government guidelines”. The Scottish-based retailer said that…
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26 March
Wetherspoons’ boss was right to withhold wages
The media and the Twitterati have had a field day vilifying the founder and owner of pub chain Wetherspoons over his decision not to pay his staff in light of the coronavirus restrictions. Tim Martin had sent an email to his 43,000 staff saying he could not afford to pay…
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26 March
Covid-19: Banks under fire over emergency loan scheme
Banks have come under fire over government-backed emergency loans which require business owners to sign for a personal guarantee, as the UK battles with the Covid-19 pandemic. The British Business Bank (BBB) opened applications for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) on Monday (23 March), and claimed the loan…
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26 March
Intu receives only third of rent
Intu revealed that it has received only 29% of its second quarter rent that was due from tenants on 25 March. For the same period last year, it had received 77% on the quarter day, and the group is now in discussions with its customers regarding the outstanding rents. In…
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