John Lewis slims down bonuses to 15pc as pension costs rise March 6, 2014 John Lewis and Waitrose staff will get bonuses worth 15 per cent of their salaries today – from a bonus pool of £202.5m – after getting 17 per cent last year. 2013’s bonus is equivalent to around eight weeks’ pay. The partnership spent more on servicing its pension fund last year, with the deficit increasing [...]
The UK has the most valuable online shopping market in the developed world December 12, 2014 The UK spends more money per head online than any other developed country, with the average Brit spending £2,000 per year on the likes of Amazon, Asos and John Lewis. In the UK, 59 per cent of people said that they had use online shopping at least once a week to buy products, according to [...]
City Link workers demand urgent talks as 1,000 more jobs could be at risk December 27, 2014 Workers at City Link, the parcel delivery company which collapsed into administration on Christmas Eve, have demanded talks with administrators, as it emerged 1,000 more jobs than originally thought may be at risk. The BBC reported that leaders at the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has written an open letter to business minister Vince [...]
Debenhams share price plummets despite online sales uplift January 13, 2015 The figures Shares in troubled department store Debenhams fell nearly eight per cent in mid-morning trading, despite figures published this morning suggesting it had a record Christmas. The retailer said like-for-like sales in the four weeks to 10 January rose 4.9 per cent. Particularly successful were online sales, which went up by 29 per cent. Demand [...]
John Lewis launches search for tech firms to help lift its game March 3, 2014 JOHN LEWIS has launched a search for five start-up technology companies to develop new ideas for the retailer and to help it stay ahead as mobiles and tablets change the way consumers shop. The department store group is setting up a technology incubator called JLAB, with five successful firms given office space and advice to [...]
Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014: Could Manic Monday beat both to become the biggest retail day of the year? November 25, 2014 With Black Friday bargains from the biggest retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Currrys PC World, UK shoppers are expected to go hell for leather in the lead up to Christmas this year. But two firms are fighting against the consensus that says Black Friday and Cyber Monday will see us [...]
Jean Tirole’s Wikipedia page in need of an edit as Manuel Valls thumbs his nose at Andy Street October 13, 2014 When Jean Tirole’s name was read out at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences yesterday, a lot of people, economics geeks aside, Googled his name to see who exactly the Nobel Prize for Economics winner was. Along with the list of the economist’s various accolades, Tirole’s Wikipedia page said, “YO, SOMEONE EDIT THIS STUFF IT [...]
2014 Black Friday, Cyber and Manic Mondays set to break all UK records December 1, 2014 Black Friday became a weekend-long shopping spree yesterday as consumers were set to spend about £650m during Cyber Monday. Yesterday marked another pre-Christmas internet shopping frenzy, and industry body IMRG estimated that about £451,000 was spent per minute – making it the busiest online shopping day ever and a 26 per cent increase on last year. Market [...]
Black Friday UK 2014 vs 2013: Live graph reveals how insane this year’s frenzy is as more retailers get on board November 28, 2014 Is it us, or has Black Friday gone crazy this year? There have been reports of punch-ups at supermarkets and even someone breaking their wrist in the clamour to get hold of a cheap telly. And as if we didn't already need a reminder of the sheer American-ness of it all, Asda has laid on [...]
Hemingway Design: The family team behind East Village in Stratford February 12, 2015 Once the last fireworks of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games had fizzled out, it was time for the cranes to move in and turn this former marshland into a place people being would literally buy into. While West Ham and Spurs were arguing over who gets the Olympic Stadium, a team [...]