Coronavirus
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Jul- 2021 -16 July
NAJ updates Covid guidelines ahead of 19 July opening
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has updated its storesafe and sitesafe guidance ahead of the upcoming easing of restrictions on 19 July. The group’s guidelines, which are now at version seven and three respectively, also come with posters that can be printed and displayed for the public. The posters…
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Jun- 2021 -17 June
Gov extends insolvency support measures
The Government has announced that it is extending insolvency measures supporting businesses throughout the pandemic to the end of June 2021. First introduced in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act at the start of the pandemic, the measures protect businesses from creditor enforcement while also removing personal liability on company…
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Mar- 2021 -3 March
Budget 2021: Chancellor unveils new £65bn support package
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined a new £65bn support package in his March budget, confirming the decision to extend the furlough scheme until the end of September as well as new loan schemes of up to £10m for businesses. In what is Sunak’s second budget since he joined office in…
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Feb- 2021 -24 February
Scotland to reopen non-essential retail from 26 April
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that non-essential retailers in Scotland will be able to reopen from 26 April. Sturgeon outlined the country’s exit out of lockdown restrictions yesterday (23 February), giving businesses a timeframe of when they can expect to reopen. Scotland’s stay-at-home order is likely to remain in…
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23 February
Footfall rises for fifth consecutive week
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose by 6.8% last week against the week before, marking the fifth consecutive week of uplift ahead of the PM’s highly anticipated ‘roadmap’ announcement yesterday. According to the latest data from Springboard, this was only a fifth less than the rise of 8.5% in the…
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22 February
PM outlines ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown
Prime minister Boris Johnson has set out his four-step “roadmap” to guide the nation out of lockdown “cautiously but irreversibly”, calling the plan a “one-way road to freedom”. Step one will begin from 8 March, when all schools will be allowed to open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed.…
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19 February
Retail sales tumble 8.2% in January despite online boom
Retail sales tumbled by 8.2% in January despite rising online sales, as stores were hit by heightened restrictions amid the third national lockdown. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the value of sales was also 7.8% lower than the previous month, while the overall decline was largely driven…
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Jan- 2021 -22 January
Retail sales fall to lowest ever annual level
The retail sector has suffered its largest annual fall since records began, with total sales down 1.9% against the year prior, as restrictions on non-essential retail continued to impact the sector as a whole. This was the biggest decline since records began in 1997, according to the ONS. After declines…
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5 January
Chancellor unveils £4.6bn in new lockdown grants
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000, the chancellor has announced. The news comes after the prime minister’s announcement that businesses will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control the spread of Covid-19. This…
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Dec- 2020 -17 December
Furlough scheme extended until April 2021
The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages to employee’s pay, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today (17 December). The government will also extend current government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March. This includes…
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