BUSINESS EXTRA

Time to read

WATERSTONES managing director James Daunt, a for‐mer JP Morgan banker, said the pandemic was both neg‐ative and positive for many retailers although it was “fantastic” for booksellers worldwide. “It made people pick up books again,” said Daunt, who has 1,000 book‐shops under his control.

Jobs boost

SPAIN’S Cabinet approved a €2.8 billion allocation for the country’s autonomous regions this year to imple‐ment employment policies that promote hiring the long‐term unemployed. This would be the largest investment of public funds to improve employability since 2011, said Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz.

Switchback

ALMOST one million peo‐ple in the UK switched their current account in 2022, as banks competed to offer the best perks, cashbacks and bonuses. Last year’s 985,000 switches were 20 per cent up on 2021, said the Current Account Switching Service, which simplifies the process of moving to another bank.

Situations vacant

RECORD Easter occupancy accentuated difficulties in finding qualified staff to at‐tend to the needs of Spain’s tourists. The problem, wors‐ened by the pandemic and still unresolved, would be‐come more noticeable as tourists returned en masse, warned Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia hotel chain.

Nectar deal

SAINSBURY’S has taken on Tesco’s Clubcard with key changes to its Nectar loyalty card which include dis‐counts on 300 products. The supermarket chain has introduced ‘Nectar Prices’ in major stores and online although discounts are not available in Sainsbury’s lo‐cal stores or petrol stations.