Wednesday newspaper round-up: Royal Mail, Poundstretcher, UK airports

(Sharecast News) - Royal Mail postal workers will for the first time collect parcels on the doorstep, in one of the biggest changes to the service as it adapts to the decline in letters and rapid growth in online shopping. From Wednesday customers across the UK will be able to pay a fee of 72p on top of standard postage costs for every package under the new "parcel collect" service. Pre-paid return items will cost 60p per item. - Guardian
Waitrose and the Co-op are cutting prices on hundreds of essential goods this week as supermarkets prepare to battle it out for customers ahead of a budget Christmas season. On Wednesday, Waitrose is lowering the prices of more than 200 of its basic own-label products, including beef mince, tea and washing-up-liquid, by an average of more than 15%. - Guardian

Concerns have been raised about the strength of the government's clampdown on pre-pack administrations after it ordered mandatory independent reviews of sales to connected parties. The organisation that represents insolvency professionals has warned that the new system would be at risk of abuse while the property industry has expressed concerns about "opinion shopping", with buyers trying to find reviewers who will back their plans. - The Times

Poundstretcher has become the latest retailer to lose its auditor after a risk assessment by one of Britain's biggest accounting firms. BDO resigned as auditor of the budget chain after reviewing its client portfolio and assessing the "commercial risk and reward associated with the audit of the company", a letter filed to Companies House this month shows. - The Times

UK airports are losing £83m a week due to Covid-19, according to an industry analysis, as they urged the Government to suspend air duty on passengers and retain VAT-free sales airside. The Airport Operators Association said the Covid-19 pandemic had brought international aviation to a near standstill with a projected loss by the end of the year of £4.3bn for 2020. - Telegraph