Uber, Peacocks, Netflix, Vue cinema: your commercial news round-up

As we get ready to head to Manchester for LawCareersNetLIVE on 29 November, we should remind you that a great way to top up your commercial awareness is to watch our panel of top law firm partners discuss the issues affecting the legal profession in 2020, including legaltech and Brexit. You can watch the panel live on Facebook tomorrow morning at 10:05am – check out our Facebook event for more. In the meantime, here are some relevant commercial news stories from this week:

• Uber has lost its London operating licence after Transport for London (TfL) said it could not renew the licence due to repeated safety problems that had not been fully addressed. The taxi app had its licence revoked in 2017, but was given two extensions. Helen Chapman, director of licensing at TfL, said: "While we recognise Uber has made improvements, it is unacceptable that Uber has allowed passengers to get into minicabs with drivers who are potentially unlicensed and uninsured." Uber has said it will fight the ban.
• Womenswear retailer Bonmarché, which fell into administration last month, is set to be bought by retail chain Peacocks in a rescue deal. Thirty Bonmarché stores will close by 11 December, but the remaining 285 shops will remain open for the foreseeable future. With the deal yet to be officially confirmed, spokespeople for both companies iterated that the future for Bonmarché is not yet fully secured.
• For the first time, Netflix will be streaming its films in a cinema for longer than a limited period, after it took over the historic Paris cinema in New York this week. The 10-year lease agreement marks a big step for the online streaming giant. Meanwhile UK cinema chain Vue has been criticised over its decision to pull the film Blue Story after a mass brawl took place in a Birmingham cinema complex during a screening. It has since been announced that Vue will reinstate Blue Story across its screens from the weekend.
• Ocado is growing its network of warehouses across the UK as it reveals it will build its sixth warehouse in Bristol. The new distribution hub will enable customers in Bristol and the surrounding area to benefit from its same-day delivery service, showcasing the online retailer’s steady growth.

Be sure to check the News every Thursday for this weekly commercial news round-up. Follow @LawCareersNetUK on Twitter and like us on Facebook for instant business news updates.