Donald Trump hits out at Amazon as he calls on US Post Office to hike prices December 29, 2017 Donald Trump has hit out at Amazon in a call on the “US Post Office” to raise prices. He seems to be referring to the US Postal Service, which he also claimed was becoming “dumber and poorer”. The US President made his remarks via Twitter, writing: “Why is the United States Post Office, which is [...]
Netflix boss Reed Hastings excited by new rivals Disney Plus as they continue expansion November 10, 2018 Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings has claimed he is looking forward to the challenge prosed by Disney, who are launching their own online streaming service. The new service, Disney Plus, will go head to head with Netflix and Amazon Prime when it launches late next year. Hastings has admitted that Disney are a "formidable" company in the [...]
Better together: How media firms are teaming up to take on tech November 30, 2019 The media industry is in flux and embattled publishers and broadcasters are banding together. But will it be enough to fend off the might of big tech? In Succession, the hit HBO show about a crumbling media dynasty, virtually every conversation is a power struggle. But for ageing patriarch Logan Roy, a thinly-veiled Rupert Murdoch, [...]
Private equity player KKR reportedly circling Asda following Sainsbury’s deal setback February 24, 2019 US private equity house KKR is reportedly mulling a bid for Asda after a ruling last week by the competition regulator that could stymie its proposed tie-up with fellow big four supermarket Sainsbury’s. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said last week that a deal between the two supermarkets could lead to "a substantial lessening [...]
DEBATE: Are smart speakers really a better measure of inflation for the ONS than envelopes? March 12, 2019 Are smart speakers really a better measure of inflation for the ONS than envelopes? Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the Government Economic Service and author of It’s the Economy, Stupid, says YES. It makes sense for the ONS to rethink its inflation basket. Fewer people write letters now, although parcels have increased with online [...]
Retail property value set to plunge as owners battle online shopping rise January 21, 2019 The value of retail property is set to fall by 15.9 per cent this year as owners and investors battle to tempt online shoppers back to the high street. A total of 62 per cent of major UK property owners and investors said e-commerce businesses such as Amazon are disrupting the commercial real estate industry [...]
‘Waitrose of the north’ posts £2.2m sales loss amid trading pressures October 15, 2018 Booths, the Lancashire-based supermarket chain dubbed “the Waitrose of the north” for its focus on high-quality food, posted a £2.2m loss on sales but cut its overall losses in half, its latest results revealed. The family-owned-and-operated supermarket, which has 28 stores across Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, saw its losses before taxation fall [...]
BBC narrows pay gap as it reveals highest-earning presenters July 2, 2019 Three women are among the top 10 highest-paid BBC stars for the first time ever as the broadcaster looks to address its gender pay gap. Claudia Winkleman, Zoe Ball and Vanessa Feltz ranked among the BBC’s top earners with salaries of more than £350,000. Last year no female stars made it into the top 10. [...]
Amazon Prime could face an advertising probe over delayed Christmas present deliveries December 17, 2017 Amazon has been accused of Grinch-like behaviour in the weeks preceding Christmas, as it faces claims it has not lived up to advertised delivery promises. Amazon’s Prime service could be investigated by the UK’s advertising watchdog over complaints that packages have been delayed or not arrived. The service offers free two-day shipping to customers who [...]
British commercial radio revenue breaks record for third consecutive year February 7, 2019 Advertising revenue on commercial radio in the UK hit £713.3m last year, as corporate investment in the media stream continued to rise. Ad sales topped the previous record of £679.2m set in 2017, according to figures released today by industry body Radiocentre. The news marked the third consecutive year of record growth in the sector. [...]