EU referendum: Conservative MPs threaten to bring down their own government in Brexit row June 15, 2016 A host of Conservative MPs have threatened to vote down a revenue-raising post-Brexit budget as the civil war engulfing the Conservative Party reaches new heights. As George Osborne threatened Brexit would force him to raise new taxes or cut spending to plug a £30bn hold in the public finances, 57 Conservatives have this morning issued [...]
John Lewis boss Andy Street apologises for saying “France is finished” October 3, 2014 Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, has one piece of advice for anyone with investments in the country: Get out now. The John Lewis boss described France as "finished", saying it was "sclerotic, hopeless and downbeat", but has since apologised for his comments. According to The Times, Street made the undiplomatic remarks at the [...]
The best places to look for Black Friday deals 2014: John Lewis, Amazon, Marks & Spencer, Very, Curry’s PC World and Halfords November 24, 2014 Retailers are gearing up for Black Friday to be one of – if not the – biggest online shopping day of the year, with hundreds of promotions being planned to tempt consumers to join the spending bonanza. According to the Centre for Retail Research, shoppers will spend £1.32bn over the four days between Black [...]
Investing in infrastructure: As confidence in property crumbles, government-backed projects may offer stable, long-term returns July 14, 2016 The gold price is up, bond yields are down, and investors are asking themselves which asset classes can shield their wealth until the impact of Brexit becomes clearer. But amid the political and economic uncertainty, two facts are unlikely to change. First, the UK population is growing, and may reach 70m people by 2027 if [...]
The new centre ground: The full text of Theresa May’s Conservative Party conference speech October 5, 2016 In the speech which closed the Conservative Party conference, Theresa May spoke of a country in transition, and new opportunities. The full 7,600 words is below – although if you'd rather a cut-down version, her best quotes are here – or you can read how businesses reacted. The new centre ground: May's speech in full When [...]
UK retailers expect bumper Christmas: John Lewis advert announced and Fortnum & Mason seasonal window revealed November 3, 2014 Nearly three quarters of UK retailers (70 per cent) believe this Christmas will bring better trading than last year due to an improving economy and following a healthy year of trading. Read: A short history of John Lewis' Christmas ad success The figures compare favourably to the 52 per cent of retailers [...]
Sainsbury’s Christmas advert 2014: Surprise WWI centenary themed TV ad steals John Lewis festive video crown November 13, 2014 Has Sainsbury's managed to steal John Lewis's crown for best Christmas advert of the year? The supermarket has created a Christmas ad just as touching, heartfelt, and beautifully told as John Lewis’ Monty the penguin, but with a far deeper sentiment. The three minute video, created with ad agency AMV BBDO, eschews Christmas trees and [...]
Sainsbury’s and John Lewis unveil 2014 Christmas adverts, but before Monty the penguin there was Ronald McDonald. A short history of the festive ad November 14, 2014 * Christmas comes but once a year, but the advertising that goes around it lasts much, much longer, with some brands seeing fit to launch their festive offerings at the beginning of November. This week saw the unveiling of Sainsbury’s festive offering. The supermarket giant partnered with the Royal British Legion to tell the story [...]
From overtime holiday pay and immigration to the EU bill and John Lewis’ Christmas advert: 10 things we learned this week November 8, 2014 1. Businesses are going to have to start giving workers holiday pay for overtime. But it's quite complicated and likely to be subject to a few appeals so it's still a bit up in the air. 2. John Lewis is the king of Christmas adverts. That's not just our view, but the view of [...]
Is John Lewis boss Andy Street right about France? Five charts showing the problems October 3, 2014 John Lewis boss Andy Street didn't mince his words. Nothing works in France and no-one cares, he said. He later apologised, for his remarks but, economically speaking, there are few people who would argue that France is not in trouble. Here are a few of the problems facing France: The president, Francois Hollande, is the least [...]