Brexit worries prompt nearly a third of consumers to cut spending November 14, 2018 Nearly a third of British consumers have cut their spending because of Brexit, scrimping on luxuries and postponing investments amid doubt over the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU bloc. A survey of 4,015 Brits, conducted by professional services firm KPMG, found 31 per cent had already cut their spending. James Stewart, KPMG [...]
Women’s World Cup: How brands are embracing the sport through sponsorship June 6, 2019 The World Cup arrives tomorrow at an opportune moment for women’s football. After a season punctuated by record attendances, greater exposure and successes both on and off the pitch, there is an air of optimism engulfing the sport. While the feeling is inspiring confidence that Phil Neville’s Lionesses could make good on their No3 world [...]
As the warning signals flash red, now is the time to back business December 14, 2018 When thinking of the great moments of British enterprise, you would be forgiven for being consumed by nostalgia. The golden age of manufacturing, Victorian industrialists, Alan Turing, the internet, Concorde, the discovery of DNA – what then of today, the Brexit Blues? Think again. This is the age of the entrepreneur – 99 per cent [...]
Booming US market breaks box office records for Cineworld but UK sales slip January 16, 2019 Cineworld shares slumped five per cent in morning trading, as the world’s second largest cinema chain revealed flattened UK sales despite the success of films such as Black Panther breaking box office records. A record 308m people visited the cinemas during 2018, the chain said. Meanwhile, like-for-like revenue jumped 6.2 per cent year-on-year in the 12 months [...]
Fat Face struggles over festive period as shopping model continues shifting to online January 9, 2019 Casual clothing retailer Fat Face’s Christmas sales fell flat, amid “tough” trading conditions after a solid performance in the six months to December. The company reported a six per cent drop in physical sales in December, driven by a shift to online sales both in the UK and internationally. Ecommerce sales were up 16 per [...]
Jaguar Land Rover set to announce up to 5,000 job cuts January 10, 2019 Jaguar Land Rover is reportedly set to axe 5,000 jobs in a cost-cutting exercise after seeing a slump in Chinese demand for its vehicles coupled with a fall in diesel sales. The mass redundancies would help the company free up £2.5bn in cash flow, a transformation programme it announced in October. Read more: China sales [...]
JD Sports shares rise as retailer bucks high street woes to boost profit and revenue April 16, 2019 JD Sports’ shares jumped today as it bucked the trend of struggling high street retailers to boost profit and revenue. Executive chairman Peter Cowgill credited the shoe and fashion store’s focus on remaining relevant to its millenial and Generation Y consumers for its success, saying the firm is “obsessed” with its customers. Shares rose 7.6 [...]
Joules shines amid retail gloom as it prepares for Brexit December 5, 2018 Fashion retailer Joules has bucked the gloomy trend in retail with a strong first half as it prepares for Brexit. Joules, which sells colourful styles inspired by English country life, grew revenue 17.6 per cent to £113.1m in the 26 weeks to 25 November, compared to the same period last year. In a pre-close trading [...]
Music retailer HMV on the verge of second administration since 2013, reports December 28, 2018 HMV is set to go into administration for the second time in six years, putting 2,200 jobs at risk, according to reports. The company reportedly filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators last week as it held last minute talks with suppliers, Sky News reported this morning. The company was bailed out in a [...]
The Innovative Finance Isa didn’t get off to a flying start – so how’s it doing now? March 6, 2019 When the Innovative Finance Isa and its not-so-catchy acronym, IFISA, entered the scene back in April 2016, it’s fair to say that it didn’t get off to a great start. This was partly because, compared to its Isa cousins, the IFISA didn’t get much publicity (admittedly, the UK was two months away from the EU referendum, [...]