Apple, Google and Microsoft top list of the 100 most valuable brands September 25, 2017 Apple and Google have once again take the two top spots in a list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, according to rankings by consultancy group Interbrand. Five UK firms made into into the 2017 best global brands list. These were Burberry, HSBC, Land Rover, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. This is the fifth consecutive [...]
Ikea is letting you launch a pop-up DIY restaurant on Shoreditch High Street with 20 of your friends – for free August 29, 2016 Forget furniture, Swedish DIY titan Ikea is about to offer Londoners a very different type of do-it-yourself experience. Next month Ikea is set to open a fully immersive DIY restaurant space in the heart of Shoreditch, where you and 20 of your friends can take over a pre-prepared diner space to choose your own menu, cook and [...]
Ikea’s drawer debacle won’t destroy UK image July 6, 2016 Last week, Swedish furniture retailer Ikea recalled 29m Malm chests of drawers in North America, following the tragic death of three children in the US. The drawers had toppled over, despite advice from the company to use wall mounts along with the product. Ikea has received 41 separate reports of tip-over incidents since 2014,17 of which [...]
Ikea bows to pressure from authorities and recalls 1.7m chests of drawers in China July 12, 2016 Ikea has recalled 1.66m chests and dressers in China from its popular Malm range over concerns the furniture pieces pose a danger to children. The recall covers pieces produced in the range between 1999 and 2016, which can be hazardous if not fixed properly to walls. In June Ikea was forced to recall 29m dressers [...]
Ikea is starting to sell solar panels in the UK April 25, 2016 Ikea has started stocking solar panels in its stores across the UK, while heralding the renewable energy source as "the future". The flat-pack furniture retailer said solar panels will be available online and in three stores. Customers will be able to buy them in Glasgow, Birmingham and Lakeside, before they're rolled out in the so-called [...]
More than 530 US companies and 100 investors beg President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to stick with low-carbon agenda January 10, 2017 More than 530 US companies and 100 investors have signed an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump demanding that the US reaffirms its commitment to a low-carbon economy and the Paris Climate Agreement. Corporate signatories of the letter, which is also addressed to President Obama, members of Congress and global leaders, span Fortune 500 stalwarts [...]
Amazon: Is this the end for ‘old-school’ retailers? August 22, 2017 If you are a regular reader of the financial press, you could be forgiven for thinking some kind of corporate serial killer is currently on the loose. On an almost daily basis, fresh obituaries appear for retail businesses and there is a strong consensus on who is to blame – the global phenomenon that is [...]
Google Home review: Can Google’s smart speaker overthrow the Amazon Echo? April 19, 2017 When the singularity is reached and our robot servants finally turn on their human masters, rebelling against their programming to flay us alive in our beds, future mecha-historians will point with metal fingers to 2017 as the year it all began. Google Home is a voice-controlled smart speaker condemned to sit in the corner of [...]
Ikea poised to hand 7,300 staff a Living Wage pay hike this week March 30, 2016 Ikea staff are in line for a pay rise on Friday after the Swedish home furnishings giant pledged to introduce the Living Wage for all of its workers in the UK. The flat-pack furniture retailer said all 6,100 co-workers will receive a minimum of £8.25 nationally and £9.40 in London, as set by the Living [...]
Gatwick says it’ll be carbon neutral by the spring after sticking to renewable electricity January 18, 2017 Gatwick Airport has pledged to become carbon neutral by the spring, after teaming up with a global renewable energy alliance. The airport has been purchasing 100 per cent renewable energy since 2013 and electricity now comprises 80 per cent of the airport's operational carbon footprint. It said the remaining emissions will be offset by investments in [...]