Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Rise in Omicron cases may lead to staff shortage 'very quickly'

Staff shortage due to Omicron
iStock image
Getty Images

Alarming rise in the number of coronavirus cases could “very quickly” lead to staff shortages in shops and among food suppliers and delivery drivers, stated recent reports on Sunday (19), citing warnings by UK's top executives of the food industry.

One food industry chief described the situation as “a race to see which gets there first – Omicron or Christmas”, Mail reported stating that food industry leaders are keeping a watch on the spread of Covid-19 among employees.


Most big stores groups are only just beginning to see the effects of staff shortages – with several saying that the number of employees self-isolating still ranks as a “very low single digit percentage” of the workforce but “biggest worry now is how fast the numbers go up”, report said.

“Astonishing” rise in new cases is expected to inevitably hit operations to some degree in the next fortnight though Covid-19 absences in shops are rising “quite sharply”, reports said.

Many food shops reported to have observed a sudden increase in the number of customers in recent days mainly due to shoppers topping up their food cupboards to prepare for a weekend at home and also doing festive shopping a week ahead.

Stores are likely to remain busy for next three to four days.

“People don't usually buy their Christmas food until the last week,” a retail executive told the media outlet.

“But shoppers are starting to think one step ahead of events. So there could be even more of a rush over the next few days as people try to get it out of the way.”

PwC retail strategy director Kien Tan said that this is a terrible time for hospitality and a terrible time for travel. But in terms of buying stuff – especially if people think they're going to be at home more – its going to be “quite a good Christmas overall for retailers”.

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less