Industry

Manufacturing, logistics, energy and the real economy. Long-form reporting on the firms, supply chains and regulators that keep physical industries running.

Most firms want a four-day working week suggests trial
Business21 February 2023

Most firms want a four-day working week suggests trial

​The largest four-day working week trial in history has been deemed a success, with the majority of the participating businesses declaring they will continue to offer a shorter week. The trial, which ran for six months starting in June of last year, ...

Flybe at the point of no return as rescue talks fail
Business16 February 2023

Flybe at the point of no return as rescue talks fail

​The regional airline Flybe, which entered administration last month, will be shut down after all efforts to find a rescuer for the company were unsuccessful. According to media gossip, Air France-KLM and the German airline Lufthansa were among the p...

UK avoids recession despite strike action
Industry10 February 2023

UK avoids recession despite strike action

Early official numbers indicate that the economy narrowly averted recession in the second half of last year, despite growth taking a dramatic turn in December as a result of strikes and a shortage of Premier League games. According to the Office for ...

Deliveroo slashes workforce and UK worst hit
Industry9 February 2023

Deliveroo slashes workforce and UK worst hit

​Deliveroo, a platform for ordering food online, has stated it will eliminate nearly 350 positions, or 9% of its global staff. Deliveroo's founder and CEO Will Shu informed staff that roles across the company will be affected, however it is believed ...

Water bill hike feared by consumers
Industry6 February 2023

Water bill hike feared by consumers

​From April water bills in England and Wales will increase by the biggest amount in almost 20 years. According to industry association Water UK, the average customer will now pay £31 more annually than they did last year, bringing the average bill to...

Support for unions rises despite widespread strikes
Industry31 January 2023

Support for unions rises despite widespread strikes

Despite the fact that strike action is paralysing public services, support for trade unions is increasing. Since the 1980s, there have been increasing conflicts in the workplace, and last year, strikes cost the nation more than a million working days...

Airline Flybe collapses with hundreds of jobs lost
Industry30 January 2023

Airline Flybe collapses with hundreds of jobs lost

​Cut-price airline Flybe has collapsed. All of its scheduled flights have been cancelled, the company has ceased operations, and hundreds of jobs have been lost. Less than a year after returning to the sky after a prior collapse, the airline has ente...

UK: Amazon workers go on strike for first time
Business25 January 2023

UK: Amazon workers go on strike for first time

Amazon employees have started the UK's first-ever strike to protest against what they contend is the online retailer's terrible pay and conditions. According to the GMB union, over 300 employees at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry went on strike in pro...

Celebrity boot company Hunter opens new funding talks
Industry19 January 2023

Celebrity boot company Hunter opens new funding talks

Nearly three years after being saved from bankruptcy, Hunter Boot, the footwear company with a royal warrant, is moving toward receiving new capital. According to media reports, the proprietors of Hunter, whose boots are commonly seen on the feet of ...

Sofa in a box pioneer Snug acquired by ScS
Industry18 January 2023

Sofa in a box pioneer Snug acquired by ScS

​In a pre-pack agreement, ScS has acquired Snug from administration for just £875,000 with the intention of integrating the brand's concession into its retail locations. In the transaction, UK financial services company Evelyn Partners served as admi...

M&S plans major investment in new stores across the UK
Industry17 January 2023

M&S plans major investment in new stores across the UK

M&S plans to open new stores around the UK, which will generate thousands of jobs. A £480 million investment in Marks & Spencer's stores will enable the company to open 20 additional locations and generate thousands of new jobs. This year, M&...

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reveals 2022 was a bumper year
Industry9 January 2023

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reveals 2022 was a bumper year

​For the first time in its 118-year history, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has celebrated a record-breaking sales year with the sale of more than 6,000 vehicles. The BMW-owned luxury brand in the UK said that sales volumes increased by 8% in 2022 compared t...

Cineworld denies talks and says it will focus on group sale
Industry4 January 2023

Cineworld denies talks and says it will focus on group sale

Crisis-hit ​Cineworld has denied claims by the owner of rival Odeon that they have held talks over the sale of cinemas, saying it intends to sell the group as a whole and is yet to begin the process. AMC Entertainment announced last month that it had...

Google is killing its controversial AMP requirement.
Industry28 February 2022

Google is killing its controversial AMP requirement.

Bad news, what’s coming could be even worse ... For years, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) format was required to rank in the Google News carousel. No more! Google introduces ‘Core Web Vitals’ to replace the former. AMP has not disappeared...