Britons spend £19,000 every year on bills February 17, 2017 British families spend almost three-quarters of an average wage on bills and accommodation, according to a new study. The average family in the UK spends £19,142.37 on the basics for a fully functioning home, including mortgages or rent, insurance, gas, and electricity, according to a study by Powershop UK. Utility bills on average comprised £520 [...]
Industry groups call on chancellor Philip Hammond to cut businesses some slack in the Spring Budget next month February 6, 2017 Businesses large and small are calling on chancellor Philip Hammond to ease the mounting burden on firms in next month's Budget. Business rates, the apprenticeship levy, the national living wage and pensions auto-enrolment are some of the rising costs highlighted by two influential business groups today. In its submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget [...]
Amazon is looking for shop space in London, according to reports February 5, 2017 Tech giant Amazon has reportedly started searching for shop space in central London as part of its move into the grocery market. Amazon first revealed its ambitions to open grocery stores last December under the banner "Amazon Go". In a video, Amazon said it was using technology to create a shop with no check outs. Customers would [...]
BT says it has not overpaid after beating Sky to UEFA Champions League rights March 6, 2017 BT has won the battle to secure the UK TV rights for European Champions League football for the next three years in a deal that will cost the telecoms giant £1.2bn and dismissed suggestions it has overpaid for them The deal, announced this morning, means BT will continue its coverage of Europe's premier club football competition until the [...]
A smooth Brexit could lead to tighter monetary policy according to the Bank of England’s Mark Carney February 21, 2017 A smooth Brexit process would lead to a faster rate of interest rate increases, according to the Bank of England’s governor, Mark Carney If the process of the UK leaving the EU moves “relatively smoothly to an increasingly clear end point” it would “be consistent with a higher path of interest rates,” Carney said, in [...]
Morrisons (MRW) share price fell this morning after it reported strong profit and sales growth – here’s how City analysts have reacted March 9, 2017 Shares in Morrisons dipped by 4.6 per cent at the open, after the supermarket reported annual profit and sales growth for the first time in four years this morning. Turnover was up 1.2 per cent to £16.3bn, while profit before tax rose by 49.8 per cent, to £325m, signalling that chief executive David Potts' turnaround is [...]
We should all be concerned by Britain’s anxious, insecure young people January 9, 2017 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is the opening line of Charles Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859. While the words were written over 150 years ago, I cannot think of a better phrase to encapsulate the situation facing young people in London and the rest [...]
Moss Bros focuses on online sales and improving margins January 12, 2017 Menswear retailer Moss Bros scored a healthy sales growth in the second half of 2016 as it focussed on improving its margins and its online offering. In the 23 weeks from 31 July to 7 January, Moss Bros' like-for-like sales grew 6.1 per cent on the year before, with online sales jumping 24.9 per cent. [...]
The costs of running a business in London are starting to outweigh the benefits February 28, 2017 The late, great Robin Williams once said: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party’.” When the chancellor stands up to deliver the last ever Spring Budget next week, however, small businesses in London are likely to be putting party plans on hold unless Philip Hammond can pull the miraculous business rates “rabbit out of the [...]
Greene King pubs report challenges are ahead despite revenue bubbling up to record levels November 30, 2016 Record revenue was reported in Greene King's interim results, but shares fell in morning trading and analysts warn of a hangover. The figures Adjusted profits before tax rose 14.6 per cent to £139m, and adjusted earnings per share were up 4.3 per cent to 36p for the pub company. Like-for-like sales increased 1.3 per cent, which was ahead of the [...]