Retail sales and jobs data expected to prove positive – The week ahead July 12, 2015 RETAIL sales data and employment figures due out this week are expected to show improvement, while some of the UK’s biggest brands will update the market over the next five days. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) retail sales monitor for June, out tomorrow, is expected to show healthy year-on-year retail sales growth in June. Data [...]
Poundland’s share price soars as discount retailer gets greenlight for 99p Stores takeover August 25, 2015 Poundland's acquisition of (more) budget rival 99p Stores has been given the provisional go-ahead by the competition watchdog, sending the listed company's share price soaring. The Competition and Markets Authority this morning said the merger “may not be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition”. It said: "Along with Poundworld, [...]
Poundland says it is on track to meet profit expectations despite accelerating like-for-like sales fall April 14, 2016 Poundland believes it is on track to meet profit expectations despite its like-for-like sales fall accelerating. The figures In the year to 27 March 2016, like-for-like sales decreased by 3.9 per cent. The fall was steeper – 4.9 per cent – in the second half of the year. In the fourth quarter, Poundland reported a sales [...]
Google’s Android Pay is coming to the UK, letting you pay with mobile on the Tube and across the high street, including Pret, Starbucks, Waitrose and more March 23, 2016 Users of Android will soon be able to use their smartphone to pay for items and even travel to work, as Google prepares to launch Android Pay in the UK following hot on the heels of Apple Pay. Google said it will roll out "in the coming months" with the backing of Britain's biggest banks, but did not [...]
Last year’s cohort shows UK unicorns are real deal April 20, 2016 THE first cohort of the Leap 100 is coming to an end. Although there wasn’t a graduating ceremony, leading business experts voted Crowdcube the winner of the prestigious City A.M. Explosive Growth Company of the Year Awards, chosen from the companies in the Leap 100. This wasn’t the only award won by the 100 companies though. Original BTC, [...]
Steel crisis: Government in talks with European Commission to avoid state aid clash April 24, 2016 The government is in talks with European competition regulators to avoid breaching state aid rules that could hold up attempts to rescue the UK's steel industry. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced last Thursday it would be willing to take a 25 per cent stake in Tata Steel's UK assets and offer "hundreds [...]
An independent Scotland inside the EU would be an economic powerhouse July 18, 2016 Some people seem surprised that Theresa May flew to Edinburgh to parley with Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, only three days after arriving at Number 10. Britain’s new Prime Minister is acutely aware that Scotland voted decisively (62:38) to stay in the EU. Brexit is precisely the “material change of circumstance” cited in the SNP’s recent [...]
Countrywide blames volatile residential sales market for 40 per cent drop in profits February 25, 2016 Britain's largest residential property services group Countrywide suffered a 40 per cent slump in profits last year after a slowdown in house sales following the General Election and increasing competition from online agents took its toll on the group. The company, which owns 50 high street brands including Hamptons, Blundells and John D Wood, said pre-tax profits slumped to £47.7m in [...]
Liverpool 1, Sevilla 3: Klopp criticises side’s “loss of faith” as Reds boss loses fifth successive final to leave Anfield club with no European football next season May 19, 2016 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp lambasted his side’s “loss of faith” after a second-half collapse handed Sevilla an unprecedented third successive Europa League crown and denied the Reds a place in next season’s Champions League. A second-half blitz, consisting of an equaliser from prolific marksman Kevin Gameiro and captain Coke’s double, saw Sevilla destroy a previously [...]
Revolts are not just for shareholders: Why the public should demand more from UK Plc June 6, 2016 From BP chief executive Bob Dudley’s bloody nose over his £14m pay deal to Weir Group’s remuneration committee being forced back to the drawing board to rethink their executive payment policies, investors have made it clear this AGM season that they’re no longer prepared to put up with outlandish boardroom pay. More spirited revolts could [...]