Business

Business owners across the hospitality industry say COVID rule changes are already having a “chilling” impact on bookings. Many who have survived 20 months of lockdowns and restrictions as well as a “lost” Christmas last year, say a strong festive period this year is essential to their survival. Data from reservations website OpenTable also suggests

British households are facing a more expensive Christmas shop after labour shortages and surging costs pushed retail prices higher for the first time since May 2019, according to industry figures. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) shop price index showed a rise of 0.3% in November compared to the same month last year. It follows a

Facebook’s owner Meta has been issued a legally binding order to sell the GIF library Giphy after an investigation found the takeover “could harm social media users and UK advertisers”. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an in-depth investigation into the deal in April after raising a number of concerns. It subsequently warned of

Fuel retailers should be scrutinised by the government if they fail to cut prices, a RAC boss has suggested. Petrol and diesel prices remain high despite a reduction in the wholesale price of oil. Retailers are overcharging by as much as 12p per litre for petrol and 10p per litre for diesel, according to the

EasyJet and TUI have updated their policies on rebooking flights and holidays after travel rules were changed to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID variant. From 4am on Tuesday all arrivals into the UK will have to take a costly PCR test on day two – with the cheaper lateral flow tests no longer

Deliveroo is close to naming Goldman Sachs as one of its new brokers, eight months after the Wall Street bank played a major role in what became one of the London stock market’s most calamitous listings. Sky News has learnt that Deliveroo is close to finalising the appointments of Goldman and Barclays as joint corporate

The owner of Butlin’s is preparing to put it up for sale amid a boom in British staycations, sparking a potential bidding frenzy for the country’s best-known chain of holiday camps. Sky News has learnt that Bourne Leisure, which also owns Haven and Warner Leisure Hotels, recently picked investment bankers to conduct an auction of

News of a potentially fast-spreading new coronavirus variant has already triggered a violent reaction on markets and in a number of different asset classes. While much attention has naturally alighted on equity markets, with big falls in the FTSE-100 and continental European indices such as the DAX in Germany and the CAC-40 in France, probably

A major crisis is coming to a head on pig farms up and down the country. It’s a crisis that farmers warned us about, and now it’s happening. Their worst nightmares are coming to pass; the mass culling of healthy animals because there simply aren’t enough butchers to process them and get them off farms.

More than £65bn was wiped off the UK stock market on Friday, reflecting fears that a new coronavirus variant could wreak further havoc on international business and travel. The FTSE 100 fell more than 3%, or 240 points, as the market opened on Friday morning, following steep drops in global markets. Shares in major airlines

The UK car industry has warned of challenges just to remain operational after it produced just shy of 65,000 cars last month – the weakest October since 1956. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) blamed “production stoppages” linked to the shortage of semiconductors globally for the woeful total, adding that a resurgent coronavirus

Retailers are putting up prices at the fastest rate since 1990 according to industry figures that add to evidence of a cost of living squeeze this winter. A CBI survey also suggested that sales have been boosted by consumers starting their Christmas shopping early because of fears over supply disruption. Clothing and department stores saw

A group campaigning for lower fuel prices has demanded urgent intervention, claiming drivers are being “fleeced” as costs continue to hit record levels. FairFuelUK (FFUK), which has backing from haulage and logistics lobby groups, told Sky News it was clear that the Competition and Markets Authority should look at how “rip-off” pump prices are calculated

Consumers can expect a “scaled-back” Christmas this year as retailers reduce the range of products available to cope with supply chain pressures, MPs have been told. A lack of HGV drivers has strained supply chains and prompted fears of shortages on supermarket shelves this festive season. Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation,

Professional football club-owners in England will be overseen by a new licensing regime forcing them to demonstrate fully-funded three-year business plans under proposals to be set out by a former sports minister this week. Sky News has learnt that a review of football’s governance led by Tracey Crouch, the Conservative MP, will outline the new

It’s been two years since this government was elected with a mandate to level up the left-behind parts of the UK. Now that the first round of the Levelling-Up Fund has been allocated, we can start to judge whether it will achieve what Boris Johnson set out to do. But while much has been made

Strong business growth and record price pressures this month should give the “green light” for a pre-Christmas interest rate hike, according to a closely-watched survey. November’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed growth slipping very slightly from the month before but still pointing to an end-of-year pick up for the economy after a third quarter slowdown,

Opposition politicians have ridiculed Boris Johnson after he struggled to get through a keynote address to business leaders, despite claiming afterwards he thought the speech “went over well”. In the speech to the Confederation of British Industry, the prime minister praised the cartoon Peppa Pig, made car engine noises, and compared his 10-point plan for

The UK “feels like a branch line economy” in many areas after years of neglect in left-behind parts of the country, according to the head of the CBI. Tony Danker argues that the successful delivery of the government’s “levelling up” agenda will be determined by whether it delivers economic growth in every part of the

The Official Receiver is advancing a legal claim against the auditors of Carillion, the collapsed construction giant, that could target as much as £1bn in damages. Sky News understands that the liquidators of the former FTSE-100 constituent filed a claim form against KPMG on Friday – a move which gives the claimant four months to