All posts tagged: chain

UK family-run high street chain to close down shoe shop after 40 years | UK | News

UK family-run high street chain to close down shoe shop after 40 years | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A much-loved Birmingham shoe shop is set to close its doors this summer after more than four decades serving the local community. Blunts Shoes, a family-run store based in Kingstanding Circle, Birmingham, will shut in June, with staff citing the difficult economic climate behind the decision. Manager Diane Middleton, who has worked at the Kings Road shop for 38 years, said the announcement had come as a shock. Over the years, she has fitted shoes for generations of local families. Mrs Middleton said: “We are trying to get our heads round it. The news has gone on Facebook and customers are very surprised and shocked. Children had come in and they had children and then grandparents – we’ve had our run of generations.” In a message to customers, the team said: “We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of our loyal customers and the local community. “Your kindness, conversations, and continued support over the years have truly meant the world to us. “Our doors remain open for now, so we’d love to …

Building supply chain resilience in European SMEs

Building supply chain resilience in European SMEs

Published by skeptic

Empowering traditional and tech‑savvy European SMEs to innovate together and strengthen Europe’s industrial ecosystems. In the contemporary industrial landscape, the global economy has been fundamentally reshaped by a succession of unprecedented crises, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, the geopolitical instability resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, the rise of protectionist trade policies, and recent threats to maritime commerce in critical chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz. These events served as a catalyst, exposing profound fragilities within international supply chains and revealing that many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were significantly insufficiently prepared for such high-impact, systemic shocks. In this context of heightened volatility and continuous disruption, traditional reactive models have proven insufficient; resilience has transitioned from an operational advantage to a structural necessity for economic stability and survival. The RISE-SME project To address these vulnerabilities and foster a more sustainable, globally competitive industry, the European RISE-SME project was established in 2024 with the primary objective of developing a methodology that enables European SMEs to detect and anticipate disruptions before they manifest. This initiative recognises …

Clothing chain shuts UK high street store after plunging into administration | UK | News

Clothing chain shuts UK high street store after plunging into administration | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Original Factory Shop’s Melksham branch has closed (file photo) (Image: Getty) A discount retailer has closed another branch after the high street chain plunged into administration. Joint administrators were appointed to The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) in January. While TOFS online store closed, the chain’s 137 shops continued to trade as a going concern while the joint administrators explored options for the business, which was established in 1969. But the retailer’s branch in Melksham, Wiltshire, welcomed customers for the final time on Sunday (March 22). READ MORE: High street giant reopens online store after plunging into administration READ MORE: Drivers urged to do 1 thing as major car park provider falls into administration The Original Factory Shop was established in the late 1960s (Image: Getty) In a final post on Facebook, the TOFS Melksham branch team wrote: “So our final post. Thank you to everyone who has shopped with us over the last 19 years and thank you to everyone who has worked with us. We have made so many friends who we will …

Chain of Ideas by Ibram X Kendi review – anatomy of a conspiracy theory | Books

Chain of Ideas by Ibram X Kendi review – anatomy of a conspiracy theory | Books

Published by Sam Flores

Informationsüberflutung? Weltschmerz? I’ve been searching and I don’t think even the Germans have a word that fully captures just how overwhelming the news cycle is right now. The zone has been well and truly flooded; just as you start trying to process one shocking event, something new hits the headlines. Chain of Ideas, a new book by professor Ibram X Kendi, doesn’t provide a one-world encapsulation of our modern woes. But, in a meticulously researched 500 pages, it lays out an essential framework for parsing current events. The central thesis is that the ideological origins of what Kendi terms “our authoritarian age” lie in the so-called “great replacement theory”. This is defined as “a political theory that powerful elites are enabling peoples of colour to steal the lives, livelihoods, cultures, electoral power, and freedoms of White people, who now need authoritarian protection”. Is this not just white nationalism by another name? Not exactly. “Since Trump’s election in 2016 great replacement politicians and theorists had been increasingly organising international meetings, networks, charters, and associations,” Kendi argues. “For a …

America’s Nuclear Fuel Chain Gains As General Matter Earns .2 Billion Of Support From Ex-Im Bank

America’s Nuclear Fuel Chain Gains As General Matter Earns $4.2 Billion Of Support From Ex-Im Bank

Published by Jenni Sidey

This past weekend saw a major announcement from the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial in Tokyo, with the U.S. Export-Import Bank issuing letters of interest for $4.2 billion of capital for Japanese and South Korean reactor owners to purchase low-enriched uranium (LEU) from U.S. enrichment company General Matter.  The US Export-Import Bank advanced plans for up to $4.2 billion in financing to support Japanese and South Korean nuclear operators’ purchase of enriched fuel from California-based General Matter https://t.co/DxwnQ1BY8q — Bloomberg (@business) March 15, 2026 The Ex-Im Bank will support up to $2.4 billion for Japanese utilities and $1.8 billion for South Korean utilities looking to purchase enriched uranium from the U.S. as opposed to their long-term supplier, Russia.  This is part of a larger ongoing effort on two different fronts, with the U.S. looking to secure funding to start up the domestic nuclear fuel chain within its borders by securing foreign investments, as well as the U.S. and its allies looking to diversify from eastern suppliers of critical materials, including enriched uranium.  The U.S. finally seems …

EU deal to strengthen farmers’ role in the food supply chain

EU deal to strengthen farmers’ role in the food supply chain

Published by skeptic

New EU legislative changes aim to rebalance the food supply chain, improve transparency in contracts, and give farmers stronger negotiating power across the EU agri-food sector. The European Union has reached a political agreement on new measures designed to reinforce the role of farmers in the food supply chain, marking a significant step in efforts to address long-standing imbalances between agricultural producers, processors, and retailers. Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a deal following discussions on proposed amendments to legislation governing the common market organisation (CMO) for agricultural products. The changes aim to give farmers stronger bargaining power, improve transparency in commercial relationships, and distribute value more evenly throughout the agri-food system. The agreement still requires formal approval by EU lawmakers but signals growing momentum behind reforms intended to stabilise agricultural incomes and restore trust across the supply chain. Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, commented: “This agreement marks an important milestone for Europe’s farmers. We are turning one of their key demands into concrete action by strengthening their position in …

Spain secures €200m EU funding to expand EV value chain

Spain secures €200m EU funding to expand EV value chain

Published by skeptic

New EU funding aims to boost electric vehicle supply chain capacity and support Europe’s transition to a net-zero economy. The European Commission has authorised a €200m state aid programme for Spain designed to strengthen manufacturing capacity across the EV value chain, including batteries, hydrogen technologies and critical raw materials used in electric vehicles. The funding scheme, approved under the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), will provide direct grants to companies investing in production facilities linked to the electric mobility ecosystem. Spanish authorities can award the aid until 30 June 2026. The measure is intended to accelerate the development of key industrial capabilities needed to support the expansion of electric vehicles while advancing Europe’s broader climate and industrial policy objectives. Commenting on the investment, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, said: “Spain’s new €200m scheme will accelerate the production of batteries and energy storage for electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen technologies. “Through direct grants, this measure strengthens Europe’s clean industrial transition while securing strategic supply chains. At a …

Blacklisted: Anthropic Officially Deemed ‘Supply Chain Risk’ As Dario Crawls Back To Negotiating Table

Blacklisted: Anthropic Officially Deemed ‘Supply Chain Risk’ As Dario Crawls Back To Negotiating Table

Published by Jenni Sidey

Update (1430ET): While Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is begging the Trump administration to reconsider dumping them over ethical concerns regarding military applications of their AI, the Pentagon just put one more nail in that coffin – officially deeming the company a supply chain risk, Bloomberg reports. “DOW officially informed Anthropic leadership the company and its products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately,” a Department of War official told the outlet.  The designation, typically reserved for foreign adversaries, follows President Trump’s directive for federal agencies to phase out Anthropic tools within six months, with contractors potentially barred from commercial dealings. OpenAI has already capitalized, securing a revised contract that Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei has publicly slammed as mostly “safety theater” – superficial safeguards prone to jailbreaks and lacking true oversight on real-world applications like mass domestic surveillance or autonomous lethal weapons. As reported below, Amodei has personally reopened direct negotiations with Under Secretary Emil Michael to salvage or renegotiate terms – telling investors the push is to “de-escalate” and find an agreement that “works for us and works for them,” …

RFK Jr comes for Dunkin’: ‘MAHA’ health secretary wants chain to prove iced coffees are safe for teens

RFK Jr comes for Dunkin’: ‘MAHA’ health secretary wants chain to prove iced coffees are safe for teens

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email With his sights set on making American food healthier, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has zeroed in on a beloved national beverage — a cup of sugary iced coffee. The “Make America Healthy Again” advocate has vowed to improve American diets and called out popular coffee chains Dunkin’ and Starbucks for their sugary drinks during a food-focused event in Austin, Texas, last week, The Boston Globe reported. “We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it,’” Kennedy said. “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.” Flavored iced coffees at Dunkin’ can have between 18 and 67 grams of sugar, while the chain’s frozen beverages can range from 100 to 180 grams. Meanwhile, adding …