Business

The company behind Wagamama and Frankie & Benny’s has warned that one in 10 of its sites will not reopen this year. The Restaurant Group said the sites, which are mostly at airports, will open in 2021 at the earliest because “footfall is anticipated to remain considerably weak” until then. It is not clear what

Consumers in the UK could face higher prices next year unless a tariff-free trade deal with the EU can be reached, the British Retail Consortium has warned. The UK and EU remain locked in talks on a free trade deal but there are concerns an agreement will not be struck before the UK leaves its

It has clothed generations of Americans for more than 200 years, including 40 of the country’s 45 presidents, but Brooks Brothers has just become the latest US retailer – and probably the most high-profile – to turn up its toes. The company, which for the last 19 years has been owned by the Italian businessman

High street chain Boots is planning to cut more than 4,000 jobs in a shake-up prompted by the “significant impact” of COVID-19. The move will affect around 7% of the pharmacy retailer’s workforce, in particular at its Nottingham support office. Store deputy and assistant manager and customer adviser roles across the country are also facing

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a “plan for jobs” to stimulate Britain’s battered economy. Here are the key points: EATING OUT DISCOUNT In August, everyone in the country will be given an “eat out to help out” discount – 50% off at participating restaurants, cafes and pubs. It applies for a maximum discount of £10

Online fashion retailer Boohoo has launched an independent review of its UK supply chain after allegations about working conditions at one factory. The company said it was “shocked and appalled” by claims in the Sunday Times that workers at a site in Leicester were being paid as little as £3.50 an hour, well below the

Ineos has suspended plans to build a new 4×4 vehicle in south Wales and may make the vehicle at a site in France instead. The factory in Bridgend had been expected to create up to 500 jobs, providing a boost to automotive workers just as Ford closes its engine plant in the town with the

UK shopping visits are still only at half the level of last year and the reopening of pubs and cafes failed to deliver a hoped-for boost, according to industry figures. Footfall was down 49.6% for the week ending 4 July compared to the same week a year ago, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. The

Global stock markets have surged despite rising clusters of coronavirus infections threatening to derail economic recovery. Investors took the lead from China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite index, which jumped by 5.8% on Monday to record its biggest daily increase in five years. Analysts said the share spending spree was fuelled by cheap funding to invest in

The UK’s pilots’ union has told members it has reached an outline deal with British Airways (BA) that will likely result in significant pay cuts to save jobs. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is expected to ballot all of its members on the deal over job cuts and changes to pay and conditions early

The UK is poised to end the use of Huawei technology in its 5G network as soon as this year over security concerns. Boris Johnson is set for a major policy change after GCHQ is believed to have reassessed the risks posed by the Chinese company, The Sunday Telegraph said. The prime minister decided in

One of Britain’s oldest regional newspaper groups has put itself up for sale as it races to find new investors willing to plug a funding deficit exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s disastrous impact on industry-wide advertising revenues. Sky News has learnt that Archant, which was established in 1845 and publishes titles including the Eastern Daily