Month: April 2020

Fellows appraises £75,000 of goods on virtual valuation day

Fellows announced that over £75,000 of goods were appraised at the auctioneer’s first ever virtual valuation day. Over 50 people joined six valuers from across the world at the virtual event on 28 April, where over £75,000 worth of watches, jewellery and designer handbags were appraised throughout the day.  Using…

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‘Lack of urgency’ in handing out Covid-19 grants to SMEs, says Colliers

Colliers International said it is concerned about the “lack of urgency” many local authorities are showing in paying out “much needed” grants to businesses. Colliers said that according to the latest data published by the Government, five weeks after the grants were announced 38% of the amount allocated to local…

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Covid-19: 70% of shopworkers are experiencing anxiety, says Udsaw

Shopworkers trade union Usdaw has released statistics revealing 70% of shop workers are experiencing anxiety and have raised concerns with their employers amid the Covid-19 crisis. The statistics revealed that 39% of the 7,357 members surveyed, primarily essential workers in shops, distribution warehouses, road transport or work as delivery drivers…

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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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Bulgari donates hand sanitiser to the NHS

Italian jeweller Bulgari has announced that it will donate over 160,000 units of hand sanitising gel to the NHS at the beginning of May. The medical-grade gel will be housed in 75ml recyclable bottles so that they are both sustainable and portable for healthcare workers.  Prior to announcing its donation…

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De Beers Group donates $200,000 to women’s support organisations

De Beers Group revealed it has made a $200,000 (£160,000) donation to women’s shelters and support organisations across its four producer partner countries. The donations have been made to the organisations across Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa in response to an increase in gender-based violence resulting from the ongoing…

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Demand for mechanical and vintage timepieces on the rise

The Sale Room has reported a “significant” increase in demand for mechanical watches and vintage timepieces in the month since the nationwide lockdown began.   The marketplace for art, antiques and collectables auctions said that these items have seen a 13% increase in demand on thesaleroom.com since 23 March.  It added…

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Bira calls on chancellor to bin rates reform Bill

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is urging the government to scrap plans to bring forward the next revaluation of business rates to April 1, 2021. Bira has joined other heads of the retail sector in calling Chancellor Rishi Sunak to withdraw ‘disastrous’ legislation, due to be discussed today (Wednesday,…

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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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How to clean your jewellery at home

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s now more important than ever to clean your jewellery and make sure that it’s free from germs and debris. Although jewellery stores are not currently open in line with BRC advice, it’s easy enough for you to clean your own jewellery at…

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