UK finance minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday unveiled fresh plans to help the pandemic-hit economy with a jobs support scheme to help people employed on shorter hours, but warned he could not save every business or role.

​UK retail seems to be recovering in a very uneven way with some destination types recovering faster than others and local high streets faring better than city centres. Outlet malls in particular seem to be doing well.

​Ailing department store chain Debenhams is reportedly in the sights of India’s richest man, Reliance Retail's Mukesh Ambani. He’s among the parties that have approached the firm’s advisers.

​The ethical behaviour of online brands during the pandemic is lingering in the memory of consumers and will have a lasting impact on customer loyalty in the UK and Ireland.

​As luxury reels from the effects of the pandemic as much as other sectors, there’s some good news in that Chinese demand for luxury goods is predicted to grow as much as 30% this year.

​Joules had reasonably upbeat news on Wednesday, saying that its performance in its first quarter has been encouraging, despite the challenging trading conditions. 

France's presidential palace asked Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to send luxury goods company LVMH a letter advising it to defer its acquisition of U.S. jeweller Tiffany, two sources said.

​Unilever NV shareholders have approved plans to end the Anglo-Dutch company's dual-headed corporate structure and form a London-based entity, which it says will make dealmaking simpler.

​Visitor traffic to retail destinations rose in the latest week, up 2.4% compared to the week before. But that wasn't the good news it might have been as the previous week had seen a footfall drop of 6.3%. 

The UK government is being urged to reconsider its decision to almost completely opt out of tax-free shopping at the end of the year with retailers and the bodies that represent them saying it would be a catastrophe.

​Footfall to London’s West End remain down by around half year-on-year even though visitor traffic to more ‘local’ London retail destinations is on its way to a full recovery.

​The Crown Estate, like other major landlords, is aiming to conserve as much cash as it possibly can and has delayed the payment of its annual income to the Treasury in the face of a shortfall in rent payments.

​Aspinal of London is the latest British retailer to launch a CVA proposal as the effects of a pandemic have made its current business model unviable.

The French shopping centres giant has updated on footfall, sales and rent collections, as well as announcing a plan to “strengthen its balance sheet and increase financial flexibility to execute its long-term strategy”.

​Next delivered a well-received set of half-year results on Thursday and as well as demonstrating its relative strength during the pandemic, they highlighted some very encouraging current trading. 

​Italian fashion entrepreneur Claudio Antonioli has acquired Antwerp-based Ann Demeulemeester. The designer, who exited her label in 2013, welcomed the news that the New Guards Group co-founder has taken control.