Business

Wetherspoons has become the latest well-known business to experience supply shortages, with some of its beers not available. A spokesman said the pub chain’s supply problems with Carling and Coors were the knock-on effect from industrial action by delivery drivers working for another brewer, and apologised to customers. It is the latest company to be

House prices staged a surprise surge in August despite the winding down of Britain’s stamp duty holiday, according to new figures. Prices rose by 2.1% over the month after growth had slowed to 0.6% in July, a report from lender Nationwide showed. Year-on-year growth climbed to 11% and prices are now around 13% higher than

Rising wages and huge demand for HGV drivers has led to unprecedented numbers of people seeking training for licences, according to Britain’s largest private driver training company. Hughes Driver Training, based in Leicestershire, told Sky News it’s sending around 100 for HGV Class I and II testing per week, including many sent directly by haulage

Zoom has reported quarterly revenues of more than $1bn for the first time but shares fell as it warned of demand cooling. The video-conferencing platform posted sales of $1.02bn for the three months to the end of July, up 54% on the same period a year ago while profits climbed 71% to $317m. It has

The Chinese government has banned under-18s from playing online games for more than an hour a day, and then only between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. The ban will be enforced by online gaming companies which are now required to strictly enforce rules requiring users to register accounts with their

The price of toys will spike this Christmas as the cost of delays and shortages hit shoppers’ pockets, according the boss of a British toy company. As businesses try to recover some of the expense of shipping items to the UK, which has soared in the COVID-19 pandemic, parents might have to fork out even

Thousands of cash points have disappeared during the pandemic with many not being replaced, new data shows. Around 8,000 ATMs have been switched off in the past 18 months, according to research by consumer group, Which? – equating to a fall of around 13%. The vast majority of cash machines were put out of action

J Sainsbury, Britain’s second-biggest supermarket chain, is in advanced talks to sell its banking arm nearly a year after kicking off an auction of the division. Sky News has learnt that the grocer is nearing an agreement to sell Sainsbury’s Bank to Centerbridge Partners, a US-based private equity firm. The discussions are said to be

The UK food and drink sector has called for a temporary visa class to be established for urgently required workers, such as lorry drivers. A new cross-industry report has urged the government to institute a so-called COVID-19 Recovery Visa that would last for 12 months, in order to help alleviate the workforce shortages that are

A former adviser to Boris Johnson is drawing up plans to list a new infrastructure investment company tied to his ambition to lead a consolidation drive in Britain’s vast corporate pensions sector. Sky News has learnt that Edi Truell’s Pension SuperFund (PSF) is pursuing the flotation of a long-term assets vehicle that could, over time,

The spending limit for contactless payments will increase to £100 from 15 October, the government has said. Currently, contactless spending is capped at £45, allowing shoppers to pay by tapping their card and without entering a PIN. The decision to raise the limit was made by the Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority following a

Labour shortages at meat processing plants have resulted in a surplus of 70,000 pigs on farms, the industry’s trade body has warned. The surplus is growing by 15,000 a week and farmers are weeks away from having to destroy perfectly healthy pigs, according to Zoe Davies, chief executive of the National Pig Association. It is

Virgin Money has confirmed that it will close its charity fundraising website Virgin Money Giving later this year in a cost-cutting move. The decision, first revealed by Sky News, means the site will be wound down after the London Marathon in October and will be closed for donations on 30 November. First set up 12

UK car production fell to its lowest July level in 65 years last month thanks to the global chip shortage and the “pingdemic”, industry figures show. Just 53,438 vehicles rolled off production lines in Britain, down by 37.6% on last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It represented the worst

The UK’s competition watchdog has warned PCR test providers to “immediately review their practices” or face enforcement action if they treat customers unfairly. In an open letter, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warns companies within the sector that their actions could breach consumer protection law and suggests the Department of Health and Social Care

Takeaway delivery platform Just Eat has announced plans to create more than 1,000 customer service roles at its new office near Sunderland. The company, which is part of the Amsterdam-based Just Eat Takeaway group, is bringing work in-house that was previously outsourced to third party operators in Bulgaria and the Philippines. It said it had

McDonald’s has been forced to pull milkshakes and bottled drinks from its menu due to supply chain issues, it said in a statement on Monday night. The fast food chain, which operates some 1,300 restaurants across the UK, has become the latest victim of supply chain disruptions that are currently roiling England, Scotland, and Wales.

The government has given UK firms an extra year to comply with post-Brexit product safety marking rules after pressure from business groups. Companies had faced a 1 January 2022 deadline to switch from Europe’s CE mark to the new UK conformity assessed (UKCA) standard for most products but this will be pushed back to 2023.

The UK’s economic recovery stumbled in August as labour shortages dampened more than six months of unrestrained growth.  The IHS Markit/CIPS Flash UK Composite PMI – an early indicator of economic health – gave a reading of 55.3 for August – the lowest since February and down from last month’s 59.2. Scores over 50 on

An online marketplace which counts one of Britain’s most prominent retail executives among its backers is to join rush of technology companies listing on the London Stock Exchange. Sky News has learnt that Fruugo, which was founded in 2006, is preparing to launch an initial public offering (IPO) as soon as this autumn. Bankers from