Carl Recine, Kate Holton, Sarah Young
5 分钟阅读 English shops and pub gardens reopen as lockdown eases Hundreds of people queue for Primark and JD Sports Drinkers lift a pint after midnight as pubs open It’s like a birthday - hairdresser says
By Carl Recine, Kate Holton and Sarah Young
LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - Crowds queued up outside shops, pubs started selling pints at midnight and hairdressers welcomed desperate customers on Monday as England started to reopen its economy after three months of lockdown.
After imposing the most onerous restrictions in Britain’s peacetime history, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the reopening was a “major step” towards freedom but urged people to behave responsibly as the coronavirus was still a threat.
3 Min Read
(Reuters) - The John Lewis Partnership warned more of its department stores would be permanently closed after the “economic earthquake” of COVID-19 sent Britain’s biggest employee-owned group to a 517 million pound ($721 million) annual loss.
Multiple lockdowns have heaped pressure on store-based groups already struggling with tight margins and intense competition from purely online players.
The 156-year-old John Lewis had already reduced department store numbers to 42, having closed eight last July, impacting 1,300 jobs, as it grappled with the fallout from the crisis.
“Hard as it is, there is no getting away from the fact that some areas can no longer profitably sustain a John Lewis store,” Chairman Sharon White said.
3 Min Read
(Reuters) - The John Lewis Partnership warned more of its department stores would be permanently closed after the “economic earthquake” of COVID-19 sent Britain’s biggest employee-owned group to a 517 million pound ($721 million) annual loss.
Multiple lockdowns have heaped pressure on store-based groups already struggling with tight margins and intense competition from purely online players.
The 156-year-old John Lewis had already reduced department store numbers to 42, having closed eight last July, impacting 1,300 jobs, as it grappled with the fallout from the crisis.
“Hard as it is, there is no getting away from the fact that some areas can no longer profitably sustain a John Lewis store,” Chairman Sharon White said.
South African retailer Woolworths said on Thursday it was expanding its casual and sports leisure wear ranges to reduce reliance on formal wear, after reporting a rise in half-year profit for the first time since 2015.