Amazon backs women in tech with new £130,000 grant March 7, 2019 Amazon has unveiled a plan to increase the number of women in technology and innovation by improving diversity on interview panels and encouraging women to apply. Read more: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer of blackmail The effort, which comes in time for International Women’s Day tomorrow, will try to overcome some of the [...]
Consumer confidence rose in March as promises of wage increases boosted optimism March 29, 2018 A snowy March failed to dampen consumer confidence in the UK, according to new research which shows optimism increased over the month. Consumers were generally more confident across the board in the key areas of personal finance, the general economic situation, the major purchase index and the savings index, the long-running research from GfK on [...]
UK government plans new safety symbol in case of no deal Brexit February 2, 2019 The government has made preparations to replace the European Union safety symbol, CE, in the event a no deal Brexit occurs. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it will not be able to use the CE symbol that is imprinted on household items, like kitchen appliances and toys. Instead, Britain will replace [...]
Mortgage approvals fall as lending to businesses also drops March 29, 2019 Mortgage approvals for house purchases fell in February while the number approvals for remortgaging also decreased, data released today showed. Meanwhile, the annual growth of bank lending to businesses fell in February for non-financial businesses, reversing an increase in January, Bank of England (BoE) data revealed. Read more: Sluggish GDP growth and shrinking business investment in UK [...]
UK mortgage approvals fall as Brexit uncertainty bites March 26, 2019 Mortgage approvals in the UK have fallen year-on-year as homebuyers put off their decisions amid political uncertainty, new data has revealed. The number of mortgages approved by the main high street banks in February was 2.2 per cent lower than the same month in 2018, the finance and business services body UK Finance said today. [...]
Countrywide warns of earnings hit as it blames Brexit for sales slowdown April 30, 2019 Embattled estate agent giant Countrywide warned this morning that £5m would be wiped off of the group’s first-half earnings, as it blamed Brexit uncertainty for a slowdown in the UK property market market. Read more: Countrywide losses deepen amid housing market slowdown Countrywide, which owns brands such as Bairstow Eves and Gascoigne Pees, posted a [...]
Up in smoke: Tobacco firms feel burn of disruption July 22, 2019 Disruption, whether as a result of new technology, stricter regulations or changing consumer habits, is affecting all sectors of the global economy, as we discussed here. It’s the new normal and the question is no longer which areas are affected; the question now is to what extent they are affected. Read more: Stranger Things vs Mickey Mouse: How the media [...]
Profit slips nearly 20 per cent at Topps Tiles in first half May 21, 2019 Topps Tiles said profit before tax fell nearly 20 per cent in the first half of its financial year. The specialist tile retailer said revenue slipped 0.2 per cent to £110.3m and profit before tax fell 18.8 per cent to £5.2m. Basic earnings per share fell 24 per cent to 2.03p. Read more: Topps Tiles recovers [...]
Business must come together to reform and save the WTO August 20, 2019 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) – the linchpin of the global trading system – is far from secure in the current political climate. The challenges are myriad – and not just because of President Donald Trump’s hostility to the organisation. Besides the well-publicised loss of confidence in the WTO’s dispute settlement function, there are a [...]
Car sales stagnate again in July but electric vehicle market share surges August 5, 2019 New car sales were hampered last month by confusion over Brexit uncertainty and the government’s future policies over plug-in hybrid electric cars. The British new car market shrunk 4.1 per cent in July, its fifth straight month of decline, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more: Car industry investment grinds [...]