Heathrow and Gatwick warn of more disruption from fog December 18, 2016 Travellers are facing more misery as the foggy weather causes a second day in a row of delays at airports around London and beyond. Heavy fog over the capital and elsewhere across England and Europe has caused airports to warn passengers of potential delays and cancellations. Read more: Here are the busiest Christmas routes for [...]
The Southern rail strike saga has cost the economy £300m already, says university study December 20, 2016 The Southern rail strikes are costing the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds, according to new research from the University of Chichester. A study, led by Dave Cooper, professor of management and economic development, has put the cost of the strike saga to the country's GDP at as much as £300m. The industrial action, carried [...]
Dry January wasn’t much of a draw this year as two-thirds opted not to bin the booze February 9, 2017 Despite the grumbling you may have heard, not everyone did Dry January last month. In fact, according to research into the late night economy from The Deltic Group, over two thirds of people didn't take part this year. That was though, still more than last year when 84 per cent didn't take part. The report of [...]
B&M side-steps clouds gathering over retail stocks January 4, 2017 B&M has side-stepped the overall gloom surrounding retail stocks this morning, rising over seven per cent in morning trading after a strong trading update. Other retail stocks – including Marks and Spencer's, Debenhams' and Associated British Foods' – have taken a hit today after Next tumbled 11 per cent at the open. Read more: Next [...]
Surge in days lost to strike action in 2016 December 19, 2016 Talks aimed at averting strikes by British Airways cabin crew over Christmas will be held at conciliation service Acas today as figures obtained by City A.M. show that the number of days lost to industrial action in the first ten months of 2016 has already dwarfed last year’s total. According to the Office of National [...]
As Londoners wrap up for a frosty weekend what are the odds we’ll get a white Christmas? December 3, 2016 You might be the feeling the chill this weekend, after forecasters predicted overnight lows of -2C and daytime temperatures of around 7C today and tomorrow. The Met Office said "a cold front" moving in over the weekend will bring drier, colder air. And Public Health England issued a cold weather warning yesterday for six regions [...]
Post Office workers to strike in week before Christmas, although Royal Mail deliveries said to be unaffected December 12, 2016 Workers at the Post Office have announced that they will strike during the run-up to Christmas. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says that strike action will commence on Monday 19 December and run through to Christmas Eve in 300 branches around the country. They have so far notified the Post Office, which is run separately [...]
A petition to stop shops opening on Boxing Day has 100,000 signatures November 14, 2016 A petition calling for shops to shut on Boxing Day has gathered more than 100,000 signatures. Boxing Day, which falls on 26 December, is traditionally a massive day for shopping as most major retailers begin their post-Christmas sales. Many companies have already launched promotions ahead of Black Friday, which falls on 25 November this year. [...]
Last minute Christmas shopping could lead to £1.3bn being spent on UK high streets, and that’s not the end of it: get ready for the Boxing Day and New Year sales December 21, 2015 If you've left your Christmas shopping to the last minute, you're not alone. Britons will spend £1.3bn on 23 December alone, which is set to be the busiest day on the high street. Expect crowds. Shoppers will make 37 million in-store transactions on Wednesday, up 10 per cent from 2014, and total spending is predicted to rise by three [...]
Sainsbury’s shares surged this morning on news of sales growth over Christmas – here’s how retail experts reacted January 11, 2017 Sainsbury's shares have surged by six per cent this morning after it reported a record Christmas week for trading. The supermarket said like-for-like retail sales went up 0.1 per cent in the third quarter, and while this might not be as impressive as Morrisons' 2.9 per cent growth, reported yesterday, investors were still cheered by the update. [...]