Former BBC boss warns licence fee overhaul would ‘delegitimise’ service January 19, 2020 The former director general of the BBC has warned that any move to overhaul the licence fee would “delegitimise” the broadcaster. Mark Thompson, who left the BBC in 2012 to take over as chief executive of the New York Times, said proposals to decriminalise no-payment of the licence fee would have a “pretty negative” impact [...]
What the cluck? Watchdog bans ‘offensive’ KFC advert over swear word reference December 4, 2019 The advertising watchdog has banned a KFC advert over concerns its reference to a swear word caused “serious and widespread offence”. A poster campaign for the fast food chain’s lunch menu featured the phrase “what the cluck?!”, while a similar newspaper ad included the elongated word “cluuuuuck”. Read more: Amazon ad banned for misleading customers [...]
Click and collect services could boost in-store sales October 16, 2019 Investment in click and collect services could boost bricks and mortar sales as customers make last minute purchases when they pick-up items in store. More than eight in 10 customers said they buy extra items in store when using click and collect, according to the latest research, and more than three quarters of retailers said [...]
Animation firm DNEG eyes £150m London listing October 15, 2019 Digital effects and animation company DNEG said today it was considering a London float to raise £150m. The London-based firm said it was weighing a main market listing with plans to sell £150m-worth of new shares and an offer of existing shares to be sold by current shareholders. DNEG has worked on films such as [...]
Covid-19 and “stakeholder capitalism”: actions speak louder than words October 19, 2020 The idea that companies should be run for the benefit of all their stakeholders, not just shareholders, is not new. “Stakeholder capitalism”, as it’s become known, was actually the dominant corporate model long before “shareholder primacy” (i.e. prioritising shareholders) really took hold in the Anglo-Saxon world in the 1970s. It remains the norm in some [...]
Barnes & Noble bought by Waterstones owner Elliott for $476m June 7, 2019 US bookseller Barnes and Noble will be taken private by hedge fund Elliott Management in a $475.8m deal. The price of $6.50 per share represents a premium of 42 per cent on Wednesday’s price, a day before reports of a potential deal emerged. Read more: Waterstones acquires Foyles bookshops as it squares up to [...]
Customer satisfaction drops for second year running July 10, 2019 British consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with the level of serve they get as the number of companies breaking promises trebled in just two years. Customers satisfaction dropped for the fourth time in a row since July 2017, according to new figures from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS). Read more: Big Four broadband providers lag [...]
Where Co-op will open 30 new stores before Christmas December 10, 2019 Co-op is aiming to open 30 new stores in the run-up to Christmas, as it invests £25m in sites at transport hubs, residential blocks and key city locations. The new stores are expected to create up to 500 jobs, bringing some festive cheer to the UK retail industry following a challenging year for the high [...]
The Beeb needs reform December 10, 2019 In an unconventional move for a frontline politician at election time, Boris Johnson yesterday offered an honest and reasonably clear answer to a question. Asked what he thought of the BBC licence fee he said — whilst muttering something about not concocting policy on the hoof —that it seemed rather outdated. Well, he’s right. Some [...]
Leading German think tank supports minimum global tax rate plans November 20, 2019 A leading German economic think tank has voiced its support for the OECD’s plans for an international minimum corporate tax rate. The Paris-based international organisation has proposed an overhaul to global tax rules that would ensure companies pay a minimum tax rate in their home countries, establishing “a floor for tax competition among jurisdictions”. Read [...]