Sainsbury wins shoppers over with coupons November 14, 2012 J SAINSBURY boss Justin King said the supermarket’s Nectar data and coupon-at-till scheme would give it the edge over rivals ahead of another competitive christmas, as it reported a rise in half-year profit. Britain’s third largest supermarket beat forecasts with a five per cent rise in first-half profit to £373m, driven by convenience store growth [...]
Simpler energy tariffs will lead to higher bills and less competition November 28, 2012 THE Prime Minister has proposed that each energy supplier should put all its customers on the best tariff. The regulator Ofgem has proposed that suppliers should be restricted to four tariffs each. The Department for Energy and Climate Change has proposed putting a mix of these proposals into law. Has no one thought through the [...]
Tchenguiz SFO claims may rise after blunders November 4, 2012 THE SERIOUS Fraud Office (SFO) could face costs of hundreds of millions of pounds if lawsuits from Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz are successful, following the SFO’s botched investigation into the brothers stemming from the collapse of Icelandic bank Kaupthing in 2008. Vincent Tchenguiz had previously indicated he would look to sue the SFO for £100m. [...]
Weak housing supply to stoke higher rental costs in London November 5, 2012 THE COST of renting a property in London will continue to soar over the next decade, according to an academic paper released yesterday. Professor Michael Ball of the University of Reading found that the supply of housing will keep failing to keep up with the needs of the capital’s workers. While the government claims that [...]
How modern technology and new working practices can save the NHS January 20, 2013 THE dust has finally settled on the government’s controversial health reforms, but the NHS is not out of the woods yet. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecasts suggest that its best-case scenario will see health spending remain flat for the rest of the decade. The challenge to do more with less is intensifying. So [...]
Wages crushed as inflation set to rocket again September 18, 2012 HARD-PRESSED workers took another blow in August as inflation stayed persistently above wage rises for the 27th consecutive month. Economists fear inflation will jump yet again towards the end of this year and could even hit three per cent again in 2013, increasing the pressure on household budgets even further. Consumer price inflation came in [...]
Gloom lifts for cash-strapped UK households September 23, 2012 HOUSEHOLD gloom lifted somewhat in September, Markit said today, despite the ongoing economic slump. Forty per cent of respondents expected their finances to deteriorate over the coming year, the data showed, down from 42 per cent in August. This pushed the year-ahead financial outlook index up to 44.3, from 43.5 – the least downbeat response [...]
A furniture retailer who rejects the high street November 11, 2012 I MEET Ning Li at Made.com’s new showroom in Notting Hill. I’m assured it’s not the online company’s first step towards being just another high street furniture retailer, but a new way to “engage with customers”. Indeed, Li believes Made.com’s success hinges on its deliberate avoidance of the high street for exclusively online retailing. Growing [...]
Life companies aren’t up to scratch as grave pensions problem looms October 15, 2012 WE ARE heading towards a serious pensions problem. That much, the experts agree. In the UK alone, some estimates suggest the nation should be putting aside an extra £300bn each year if today’s workers are to enjoy a decent standard of living in retirement. That is the size of the current savings gap – or [...]
Life companies aren’t up to scratch as grave pensions problem looms October 15, 2012 WE ARE heading towards a serious pensions problem. That much, the experts agree. In the UK alone, some estimates suggest the nation should be putting aside an extra £300bn each year if today’s workers are to enjoy a decent standard of living in retirement. That is the size of the current savings gap – or [...]