Ways in which Manchester’s businesses are adapting to the COVID-19 crisis
Businesses across several verticals, like hospitality, entertainment, restaurants, sports and various others have gone remote in an attempt to flatten the curve as well as survive the challenging times.
The COVID-19 crisis sabotaged the global economy and brought the superpowers to their knees.
Businesses have been floundering and trying out different means to stay afloat in the midst of the crisis. While some have been able to survive and absorb the shock, many have not.
Now, with newer and mutated strains of the coronavirus at large, pressures on the economy are mounting. That being said, we shall now look into the scenario of Manchester’s businesses and see how they are adapting to the new normal.
Businesses across several verticals, like hospitality, entertainment, restaurants, sports and various others have gone remote in an attempt to flatten the curve as well as survive the challenging times.
The UK government had lifted the restrictions for a while, and this allowed people to enjoy themselves, and for businesses to make revenue. However, a mutated strain of the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the country.
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Therefore, businesses will once again have to go through an ordeal and try to adjust to the new normal all over again. Therefore, without any further ado, let us delve right into the scenario of the businesses in Manchester.
Shut down of businesses in Manchester:
According to a recent survey report, about 18 per cent of the jobs in Greater Manchester have shut down for an indefinite period of time. And now, with the possibility of a second wave of the COVID-19 crisis, this figure is only assumed to go up.
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The CEO of The Growth Company said that most of the businesses in Manchester had to deal with the unavailability of more than 20% of their workforce during the lockdown. This resulted in massive losses and even led to the shutting down of several businesses.
However, amidst all the negativity and hopelessness, one thing that has come as a welcome relief is that the big businesses in Manchester have extended their support to the smaller companies. They have supported the businesses with helpful resources and sponsorship to help them stay afloat and make it through the hard times.
The shift towards the use of technology to make it through the crisis:
Most businesses, all around the world, have started resorting to cutting-edge technology to make it through the period of crisis. As mentioned earlier, more than 20% of Manchester’s workforce was not available during the lockdown. This put the businesses at a precarious condition. Therefore, the only saving grace at such times was technology.
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More and more businesses in Manchester have made a move towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to see their way through the pandemic. These innovations of technology make it possible to reduce the need for human labour and handle the work pressure better. Artificial Intelligence has seen magnanimous growth in all types of industries. From online casinos and safest poker sites accepting US players to the sector of hospitality and tourism, AI has made the tough times easier.
The Use of Social Media in the Hours of Crisis:
Local businesses in Manchester have resorted to the use of social media more than ever in these hours of crisis. Local and small-scale businesses do not have funds similar to the big businesses to absorb the shock. Therefore, their need for social media is more than the other bigger businesses. Studies have hinted that small-scale businesses in Manchester have made greater use of social media platforms to reach out to more clients and customers.
It has also been observed that communities that have robust local businesses are eco-friendlier, sustainable and economically wholesome. Therefore, it is important for them to thrive even during the pandemic. And Manchester’s small-scale and local businesses have used the weapon of social media to cross the hurdles.
Summing up…
It is true that the scene in Manchester looks worrisome – now more than ever – with the new strain of Coronavirus at large. However, businesses have changed their core values and reworked on their dynamics to stay put amidst the hullaballoo.
That said, while some have been able to see their ways through the crisis, some have not. However, the fight against this invisible and seemingly invincible force of nature is still on, and Manchester is doing a wonderful job at that. It is now only a wait of time to see how the second phase of lockdown, if levied upon, works out for the businesses in Manchester.
Business
Manchester Airport is hosting a big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of careers are set for take-off, as Manchester Airport’s annual autumn jobs fair is returning early next month.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and this year is promoting vacancies in Hospitality, Car Parks, and Bussing at its jobs fair.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site.
More than 500 roles will be advertised at the event, and more than 20 employers represented.
Manchester Airport is hiring! ✈️
Join us at the Wythenshawe Forum on 5th November for a huge recruitment event featuring 20+ employers and over 500 live vacancies across the airport. Whether you're starting out or looking for a fresh opportunity – this is your chance to take… pic.twitter.com/cmrlZUrBTM
Running from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday 5 November at Wythenshawe Forum, some of the other employers who will be represented at the fair include retailers and franchise operators, like Fever Tree, JD Wetherspoon, and Airport Retail Enterprises, as well as airport service providers like Dnata, Mitie, and AES – the engineering delivery partner for Ryanair.
The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will also be in attendance on the day to promote its free pre-employment support programmes and fully accredited training schemes.
Jobseekers who secure a role within MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits during their employment.
Manchester Airport is hosting a big jobs fair next month with more than 500 roles on offer / Credit: Manchester Airport
These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts, and many more.
“We are excited to be hosting our autumn jobs fair at Wythenshawe Forum, giving people in communities surrounding the airport and beyond an opportunity to find out more about the varied career paths on offer in aviation,” commented Marcella M’Rabety, who is the Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport.
“We are proud of our role in serving those communities, not just by connecting them to the places they want to fly to, but also by creating opportunities for local people and ensuring communities share in our success.”
Manchester Airport’s autumn careers fair is free for all to attend, but you’ll need to book your ticket online first here.
Featured Image – MAG
Business
Royal Mail fined £21m by Ofcom failing to meet its delivery targets
Emily Sergeant
Ofcom has fined Royal Mail a whopping £21 million for failing to meet its delivery targets in the last financial year.
Each year, it’s the watchdog’s job to look at and measure Royal Mail’s delivery performance against nationwide annual delivery targets, and for the 2024/25 season, the company was required to deliver 93% of First Class mail within one working day of collection, and 98.5% of Second Class mail within three working days.
If Royal Mail misses its annual targets, Ofcom will first consider evidence of any ‘exceptional circumstances’ beyond the company’s control, and whether it would have achieved its targets had those events not occurred.
However, even after accounting for extreme weather events, Royal Mail was still found to have fallen short of its targets… and this time, they’ve been fined their highest sum so far.
We have fined Royal Mail £21m for missing its 2024/25 delivery targets, without justification.
The company must now urgently publish, and deliver, a credible improvement plan.
This is the third time in a row that Ofcom has found the company to be in breach of its regulatory obligations, after it was first fined a substantial £5.6m in November 2023, and then a further £10.5m in December 2024.
Royal Mail only delivered 77% of First Class mail and 92.5% of Second Class mail on time between April 2024 and March 2025.
Ofcom says it has therefore decided that the company breached its obligations by failing to provide ‘an acceptable level of service’ without justification, and took ‘insufficient and ineffective’ steps to try and prevent this failure.
“Hiding behind the pandemic as a driving factor in failures at Royal Mail does not cut it.”
Royal Mail has been fined £21m by Ofcom failing to meet its delivery targets / Credit: Royal Mail
The watchdog says this is likely to have impacted millions of customers who did not get the service they paid for.
“Millions of important letters are arriving late, and people aren’t getting what they pay for when they buy a stamp,” explained Ian Strawhorne, who is the Director of Enforcement at Ofcom.
“These persistent failures are unacceptable, and customers expect and deserve better.
“Royal Mail must rebuild consumers’ confidence as a matter of urgency, and that means making actual significant improvements, not more empty promises.
“We’ve told the company to publicly set out how it’s going to deliver this change, and we expect to start seeing meaningful progress soon. If this doesn’t happen, fines are likely to continue.”
The Manc -
28th December 2020 
