Daily Mail Business Articles

The company cautioned that there could be some permanent changes to the way people travel and that it could take a long time to regain lost ground.

Whitbread employs 1,300 staff in head office roles, and said some of the proposed job losses would be offset by the creation of 75 posts. Final numbers would be confirmed in September, it added.

The firm, which also owns Screwfix, said sales soared compared with the same period last year, as paint, wallpaper, plants and compost proved particularly popular.

The Megabus owner recorded a higher net loss of £46.5million in the year to May 2 after seeing its earnings fall by a quarter to £1.42billion.

The soft drinks producer saw its year-on-year earnings fall 16.3 per cent in the three months to the end of June after pubs, bars and restaurants were forced to shut their premises to customers.

The taxi app’s operating companies appealed to the Supreme Court after losing three earlier rounds of the battle. An employment tribunal ruled in 2016 that Uber drivers were entitled to workers’ rights.

The struggling retailer said digital sales far outstripped its expectations, rising by 35 per cent to £35m in the 11 weeks to July 18. This was helped by the firm upping its social media and digital marketing.

The gambling group told investors that HMRC is looking into ‘potential corporate offending’ at its former Turkish arm. It comes just days after chief exec Kenny Alexander stood down after 13 years.

The lender’s efforts to put its chequered past behind it are already approaching hurdles, amid warnings that the taxpayer is facing even heavier losses from its bailout than expected.

Figures from Kantar showed grocery sales rose 16.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to July 12 to £31.6bn. Ocado saw sales jump 45.5 per cent as demand for online deliveries soared.