Londoners are the most likely to take work off to bag a bargain on Black Friday November 17, 2016 Why work when you could shop? It seems a healthy chunk of us have been asking ourselves that very question, and have decided to skip work for the year's biggest day of discounting – Black Friday. According to a survey by discount retailer The Original Factory Shop (Tofs), seven per cent of us intend to [...]
Fitness advice: How to avoid the health myths that can stand in the way of your new body April 24, 2017 The health world is full of quacks and pretenders, snake-oil salesmen who latch onto the latest buzz-words without understanding the science – or lack thereof – behind them. Rarely a day goes by without me picking up a client – or even a fellow trainer – spouting some half-truth they probably read on the [...]
Union leaders are their own worst enemy December 19, 2016 As the country prepares to power down for Christmas, a number of trades unions are flexing their muscles and powering up their strike activity. As PWC’s Tom Kerr Williams notes, for unionised labour “a good time to react is at Christmas when most employers will be under pressure to keep customers happy”. One can't deny the [...]
Southern Rail strikes: Everything you need to know December 14, 2016 A second round of strike action in as many weeks is has entered its second day bringing continued misery to commuters on Southern Rail this week. The industrial action will started on Tuesday, with more planned for Friday and travellers have been warned of disruption throughout the entire week. Here's everything you need to know about travelling [...]
Supermarkets had a record Christmas – but prices are rising January 10, 2017 Supermarkets had a record Christmas period in 2016, with sales growing at their fastest rate since June 2014, but prices are finally starting to rise following the Brexit vote. The latest figures from Kantar Woldpanel show that sales were up 1.8 per cent for the 12 weeks ending 1 January. Consumers spent nearly half a billion pounds [...]
Post Office workers are striking in the run-up to Christmas: Here’s what you need to know December 13, 2016 Post Office workers said they will strike during the run-up to Christmas, but at least 97 per cent of branches will stay open, the Post Office has said. This is the latest in a string of strikes by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) over disputes on planned changes to workers' pensions. When are the strikes? CWU [...]
Berlin: 12 people have died and 48 are injured after a truck “deliberately” drove into a Christmas market December 20, 2016 Berlin police said 12 people have died and 48 injured after a truck ploughed into a crowd at a Christmas market in the heart of west Berlin last night. Investigators assume the driver that ploughed into the market did so deliberately and said the incident was a "probable terrorist attack". "Our investigators assume that the truck [...]
Cost of the Christmas shop will be lower than it was three years ago December 5, 2016 Despite the worries about rising prices post-Brexit, the family Christmas shop is set to be cheaper this year than it was three years ago. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen showed that shop prices fell 1.7 per cent in November; the same level of deflation reported the month before. Read more: Chilly weather's [...]
Marks & Spencer posts Christmas sales hike as clothing division shows increase for first time in two years January 12, 2017 Marks & Spencer has revealed a long-awaited improvement in its clothing arm during the 13 weeks to 31 December, although a change in its reporting period played a significant part in the alteration. The figures The retailer reported a 5.9 per cent increase in sales over the Christmas period. The clothing and home arm showed a [...]
Oil prices: Brent crude slips below $55 a barrel as stronger dollar and expected Libya output increase weigh on market December 23, 2016 There's been little Christmas cheer for oil today, with Brent crude has slipping below $55 a barrel after a stronger US dollar and higher estimated oil output from Libya weighed on the market. The global benchmark has slipped 0.54 per cent to $54.74 a barrel, while US sweet crude is down 0.59 per cent to $52.64. [...]