UK house prices edge up in May after April slump – Halifax June 7, 2018 The UK housing market remains subdued, however, house prices in the three months to May were 1.9 per cent higher than the same period a year earlier, according to survey by UK bank Halifax. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 1.5 per cent in May, partially reversing the 3.1 per cent decline in April. [...]
Marks & Spencer in talks with top Dixons Carphone exec to bolster retail expertise May 19, 2018 Marks & Spencer is reportedly in talks with a top Dixons Carphone exec as the troubled retailer seeks to shake-up its board. Katie Bickerstaffe, who recently stepped down as chief executive of Dixons Carphone UK and Ireland, has held discussions about joining M&S as a non-exec director. M&S is facing the risk of a landmark [...]
Inconsistent and erratic regulators risk stifling our thriving vaping industry June 7, 2018 Independent vaping companies, free from ownership or control by the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries, make up 90 per cent of what is one of the fastest growing industries in Britain. UK vaping businesses are known globally for their innovation and product stewardship, and locally, independent vape shops are one of the few areas of positive [...]
Cobra Beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria talks curry and craft beer culture September 24, 2018 Britain loves beer. This might not be good for our wallets or our waistlines, but it’s true nonetheless. And perhaps no one knows this truth more than Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder and chairman of Cobra Beer. Cobra (slogan: “impossibly smooth”), has become something of a British institution. Not only can you find it in [...]
UK businesses and consumers see rosy economic prospects peak at the end of 2016, as confidence in Europe rises January 6, 2017 UK business confidence in the economy’s prospects increased to a 2016 high in December as Eurozone companies also saw a strong improvement in trading conditions, according to the European Commission. The buoyant services sector drove UK economic sentiment to an increase of 1.3 per cent, reflecting recent news of a rise in the services purchasing [...]
How marketers can use behavioural psychology to change people’s minds September 24, 2018 I have often found myself surprised to learn how utterly predictable my behaviour is whenever I read the work of social scientists specialising in behavioural psychology. Having always prided myself on at least some level of individuality, it’s disappointing when the decisions I feel that I make freely are played back to me as [...]
Bank of England: Economists split as monetary policymakers set out into the unknown | City A.M. July 30, 2018 The Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates on Thursday, but the decision by the monetary policy committee (MPC) is likely to be one of the most controversial in recent memory. While most City observers now think rates will rise, economists are split as to whether hiking borrowing costs amid a weak [...]
Immigration and terrorism worries weigh on UK consumer confidence February 2, 2016 Consumer confidence in the UK has dropped for the first time since 2013, according to survey figures published this morning. Market researchers Nielsen said its consumer confidence index fell to a score of 101 in the final three months of 2015. Concerns over immigration and terrorism had a negative impact. However, consumers are upbeat on [...]
Open banking is a test of trust for financial firms: What lenders face in their quest to win customers’ confidence March 5, 2018 Open banking, the new initiative threatening to tear up the banking rule book, has the power to revolutionise how people manage their money. For the first time, customers will be able to give companies other than their bank access to their financial data, opening retail and business banking to fresh competition and delivering more choice, [...]
Two years on: how Brexit has affected the UK economy July 22, 2018 The UK economy was supposed to plunge into recession soon after the vote to leave the EU, but the majority of forecasters were wrong. Consumer confidence remained positive, encouraging increased spending, despite a slowdown in almost every other sector of the economy. As household consumption is a large contributor to GDP growth, it more than [...]