Business

Outside of a hospital, the busiest places during the coronavirus pandemic have been grocery stores. We talked to one grocer in charge of nine stores in Pennsylvania about what it’s like on the frontlines. “Just yesterday, my office manager said, ‘My God, you look deflated and you look tired.’ And I said, ‘You know, it’s […]

Image copyright Getty Images Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has said he is “deeply apologetic” for a series of blunders in the way his chain has reacted to the coronavirus lockdown. The retailer lobbied the government to keep his shops open, arguing they were an “essential service”, but backed down after a backlash from staff

Image copyright NurPhoto Continuing pictures of empty shelves at UK supermarkets have sparked ongoing worries about food shortages. The supermarkets are confident that they can cope, not least because there is a limit to how much people can sensibly stockpile. So they believe that shopping patterns should return to normal eventually. But the coronavirus pandemic

Image copyright Terry Litherland Image caption Terry Litherland, who supports his wife and three kids, says he won’t get any help under the chancellor’s plan The chancellor’s plan to support self-employed people through the crisis has received a cautious welcome from some who are set to benefit, but others have found they won’t qualify. Self-employed

Image copyright Getty Images Shares in Asia have continued a global stock market rally on hopes global authorities will do more to combat the impact of the coronavirus. On Thursday top US share indexes capped their best three-day gains since the Great Depression. It comes as investors expect the US Congress to pass a massive

Image copyright Getty Images Ralph Lauren is to start making medical masks and gowns – the latest designer brand to lend its support to the coronavirus fight. The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday. The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns

Image copyright PA Media Image caption Next said it has listened to its staff and taken the decision to close its online operations Fashion retailer Next has reversed its decision to keep warehouses open during the coronavirus lockdown. Bosses had faced criticism from staff who felt they were being pressurised into going to work. The

Image copyright Sharon Cranfield Image caption Sharon Cranfield says she is terrified about going to the shops Supermarkets will use a government database of 1.5 million vulnerable shoppers to help prioritise delivery slots during the coronavirus pandemic. Sainsbury’s and Waitrose say they will begin writing to people on the list next week. There is concern

Image copyright ANGELA WEISS Image caption The normally-busy Times Square is almost deserted as New Yorkers stay in their homes Top US share indexes have jumped for a third day in a row as investors hope a giant government relief package will blunt the economic blow from the coronavirus. The Dow Jones and S&P 500

The Four Seasons Hotel in New York City will be providing health care workers responding to the coronavirus pandemic with free lodging. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the news about the luxury hotel on Wednesday, adding that he hopes it’s the “first of many hotels” that will make rooms available to the doctors, nurses and medical