Verenigd Koninkrijk

Finally some good news from a British retailer: Tesco is going to add 16,000 jobs to its - already sizeable - e-commerce staff, among which 10,000 order pickers and 3,000 drivers. The increase comes courtesy of the Covid-19 crisis and its positive influence on online sales.

British Selfridges feels the pressure of changing behaviour in post-Covid consumers to focus on sustainability. The chain introduces clothing rental and repair as well as trials in the food sector, such as growing its own vegetables.

Anglo-Dutch Unilever aims to shed its dual nationality and become fully British by the end of November, following shareholders' meetings in both countries. However, the Dutch may consider countermeasures.

The British competition watchdog CMA has agreed to Amazon's acquisition of a 16 % share in Deliveroo. The deal was already signed in May 2019, but the approval was delayed for twenty months because of competition concerns.

Amazon Fresh, the online giant's grocery service, is now available free of charge to Prime-members in London. The service will be rolled out across the United Kingdom by the end of this year, as the coronavirus creates momentum for online food sales.

The Covid-crisis accelerates the reorganisation plans at Marks & Spencer: the British retailer wants to make three years of progress in one year, at the cost of another 950 jobs.

More and more countries make face masks mandatory in stores: England joins the group on 24 July, France on 1 August. Even notorious opponents Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are now arguing for the face covering.