Shares in the publisher of the Daily Mail have dived – here’s why January 26, 2017 Growth at the owner of the Daily Mail newspaper ground to a halt in the first quarter, sending shares diving seven per cent. The figures Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) revenue grew just one per cent in its b2b business and shrank one per cent on an underlying basis on the dmg media side, which [...]
Port and sherry sales halved between 2005 and 2015 due to the high alcohol duty December 21, 2016 Sherry might be Santa's favourite drink, but new research suggests its popularity has slipped dramatically over the past decade. Port and sherry sales halved between 2005 and 2015, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA). In 2005, the equivalent of more than 82m bottles of fortified wines, which includes port, sherry and vermouth, were sold in [...]
British Airways reassures travellers ahead of next week’s strike but says some Heathrow flights will be affected January 6, 2017 British Airways (BA) has assured customers proposed strike action by the Unite union will have little effect on flights. BA cabin crew announced Tuesday they would hold a 48-hour strike next week due to an ongoing dispute over "poverty pay" with the airline. The strike dates are set for January 10 and 11. After confirming flights from London [...]
The Battle for Virality: How the advertising industry stole Christmas November 14, 2016 Consumer capitalism is like an annual balloon, pumping in steady increments throughout the year. It grows and grows, stretching and straining around November, taut before the Black Friday Pin; the pressure too much, one prick and the balloon explodes in a relentless cloud of Christmas advertising. But where has this volley come from? We can’t even [...]
Trouble in store: More pain on the way for UK retail April 10, 2017 A triple-blow of tax hikes, rising costs and a squeeze on consumer spending is threatening to wipe out thousands of British retailers, with a string of familiar high street names expected to fall into administration this year. Nearly 23,000 retailers were under significant financial stress at the end of the first quarter according to insolvency [...]
Gospel Oak to Barking line reopens on 27 February but more disruption is on the cards after work wasn’t completed on time February 7, 2017 Good news: the London Overground line between Gospel Oak and Barking will reopen to passengers on Monday 27 February. Bad news: despite a phased eight-month closure, the work hasn't been finished on time and more needs to be done. Work began on the £130m upgrade in June 2016. Along the 14-mile route, a number of [...]
Sports Direct ditches controversial Mike Ashley loan facility over “unjustified criticism” February 26, 2016 It seems Mike Ashley's feelings have been hurt. Sports Direct has said it will no longer draw on a loan facility provided to it by Ashley, its founder. In an unusual statement this morning, the company said although it expects its borrowing requirements to be "consistently in excess" of the £263m it has drawn on [...]
Cargo planes filled with emergency biscuits have landed in Doncaster to save the nation from the great British biscuit shortage March 9, 2016 Biscuit lovers had their hearts broken last year when McVitie's Carlisle factory was put out of action by flooding in December, but rest assured that help is on the way. Doncaster Sheffield Airport has welcomed two Boeing 777 aircraft full of biscuits into the region in the last two weeks. Dayle Hauxwell, cargo manager for [...]
Consumers feeling cheery ahead of the Christmas shopping season October 21, 2016 Consumer confidence is looking up ahead of the biggest quarter for retailers – the Christmas season. Consumers are shaking off the Brexit blues and feeling more positive about their earnings before Christmas, according to a report from PwC. PwC said 19 per cent of respondents in its consumer survey said they expect to be better off [...]
FTSE 100 demotions and promotions: Sports Direct and Aberdeen Asset Management could be demoted in quarterly review February 26, 2016 Sports Direct could slip out of Britain's blue chip index at its quarterly review which is due to take place on Wednesday. Despite a boost to its brand from popular musicians such as UK grime artist Skepta, the company was the biggest casualty of disappointing trading which afflicted a number of its peers over the crucial [...]