shopping | Westminster World

Dec72020 by , Author: Atoosa Gitiforoz | Sub-editor: Amrita Gill | Production/ Inforgraphics: Anjali and Ningjing FanNo Comments

Shoppers hit Oxford Street as lockdown lifts

Black Friday, Business, clothes, Covid-19, economy, Fashion, LifeStyle, London, shopping, shopping

Busy store front in Oxford Circus| Photo Credit: Anjali Coronavirus restrictions have had an enormous impact on our daily lives; from jobs to consumer habits and social distancing, businesses and individuals are continuously adapting to survive the lockdown/tier system cycle. The clothing retail market has experienced economic impact across the scale – from businesses increasingly relying on online sales, to some going into administration. The hospitality sector has suffered too, and currently operates under restrictions to support social distancing. Tier 2, the category London is in, does not include restrictions on clothing retailers re-opening since the latest lockdown was lifted last week. Shops like Primark kept some of their branches open through Thursday night.

Randy Brits stock up on sex toys during lockdown.

Adults, Breaking News, Covid-19, dating, Health, LifeStyle, London, shopping, Video, Women

People turned to sex toys as restrictions keep couples apart. Photo: Anna Shvets Coronavirus restrictions have sent sales of sex toys soaring, as Brits stock up during lockdown. With nowhere to go, and not much to do, Brits have turned to sex toys to satisfy their sexual urges. In the first two weeks of the March lockdown, sex toys sales increased by 25 per cent, according to the Daily Mirror. The trend has again been repeated during the current lockdown; Zuleika Philips, owner of Pleasure Drum, an online wellness and sex toy shop aimed at women of African heritage, told Westminster World: “Over the Covid period we have definitely seen an increase of about 30% pickup of toys.” In addition, Ms Philips mentioned that they’ve also received a lot more interest from men. C

Food delivering robots: will this be the new normal?

shopping, Tech, Technology

The future of food delivery has arrived. Starship Technologies, a robotics company have expanded their autonomous delivery robots to another town in the UK. Partnering with Co-op, Starship has been delivering food items to residents in Northampton. Photo credit: Ami Gill The small 100 pound electric robots travel up to four miles to deliver food, working around the customers’ schedule. They are quite a sight to see when you are out and about. It’s as though you are in a futuristic world where robots and humans walk side by side. Ordering food with Starship is very simple. Customers download the Starship Technologies app and then shop in the local store. Delivery times vary from 30 - 70 minutes, depending on what you order. Not only can you get small food orders, but Starshi

The fall of the high street outlets: Is it the coronavirus effect?

Black Friday, Breaking News, clothes, Covid-19, Fashion, shopping, shopping, Worldnews

Arcadia Group faces downfall due to the pandemic which brings an end to the empire. Photo credits by Rashi Agarwal Sir Philip Green is the owner of the retail empire Arcadia group that owns high-street brands like Topshop, Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, and Miss Selfridge. Amidst the lockdown, the stores saw a significant drop in footfall while putting 13,000 jobs at risk. Is COVID-19 the only reason for the fall of this huge empire? Why didn't the Arcadia group invest in digital marketing like other brands? Even before Coronavirus took over the world, Arcadia group was struggling against the new online-only fashion retailers like Asos, Boohoo, and Pretty Little Thing. Sir Philip Green didn't invest in the digital business just like rival Zara and so failed to kee...

Dec102018 by Farida AbdulghaniNo Comments

Young people face the worst festive Eve season every year

Christmas, Culture, LifeStyle, London, News, shopping, Student

The young workforce who are trying to make a bit of extra cash end up having an anti-social Christmas. Over 78,000 people have signed a petition to stop shops opening during Christmas and Boxing day after retail workers across the UK have complained about the stress of working during these periods. As Christmas approaches, streets and malls become busier with shoppers from all over the world, and young people are mostly found working in these retail shops which prevent them from spending time with their families on the holidays. Dave William, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), Media officer told Westminster world: "We know that boxing days are becoming popular in recent times but we don’t see any reason why these sales cannot take place some other day