Exclusive: It’s a miracle – Netflix releases Christmas Eve viewing figures December 19, 2013 It’s a minor Christmas miracle: Netflix has released some viewing figures. Sort of. The online TV service, notoriously quiet about its subscriber base or their viewing habits, issued a press release this morning about Britain’s festive telly plans. The release, from an external PR agency, contains statistical insights including “a quarter of us (23%) Brits… [...]
Online frenzy drives growth at John Lewis ahead of Christmas December 8, 2013 JOHN Lewis posted a 1.8 per cent rise in sales to £144.5m in the week to 7 December, boosted by another record performance by its online business. Johnlewis.com sales rose 22 per cent compared to the same week last year – a second consecutive week in which the site has taken over a third of [...]
Diet Expert: Manage your calorie intake over Christmas for an easy start to 2014 December 2, 2013 THE 5:2 diet is the perfect approach to survive the Christmas festivities and not end up spending next January trying to lose that extra weight you gained in December. As a dietician, obviously I can’t condone excessive eating or binge drinking, but indulging at Christmas is one of life’s great pleasures and a well earned [...]
Gatwick says sorry for chaos after biblical Christmas floods January 7, 2014 GATWICK has made a fresh apology to passengers left stranded on Christmas Eve, after it emerged that the airport’s chief executive was on holiday in Newcastle as staff struggled to find enough bus drivers to move passengers. Chief executive Stewart Wingate said the airport had just half an hour’s warning of the “biblical” flooding that [...]
7 UK retail bosses that have quit unexpectedly February 24, 2014 Mothercare’s future on the UK high street looked promising when Simon Calver, the former head of online movie rental service Lovefilm, was appointed by chairman Alan Parker two years ago to lead its turnaround efforts. The board banked on his online experience to overhaul its estate and turn the chain into a multi-channel retailer. But [...]
British retailers rebound ahead of festive rush December 18, 2013 THE RETAIL sector regained momentum at the beginning of December after a disappointing performance in the two previous months, according to new data, giving hope of a last-minute sales push ahead of Christmas. Grocers, department stores and clothing shops, which had seen sales fall in the year to November, saw sales rebound strongly in the [...]
Win talk from South Pole team December 12, 2013 PRINCE Harry and his team are due to arrive at the South Pole this afternoon having braved the Antarctic extremes to raise money for Walking With The Wounded. But the push to support ex-servicemen and women doesn’t end there. The charity is calling for City workers to do their bit by signing up to Walking [...]
Environment minister warns risk of flooding remains high January 6, 2014 MORE flooding could be on the way this week as the recent bad weather looks set to continue, the environment minister has warned. Owen Patterson gave a statement in the House of Commons yesterday and warned residents to remain vigilant after bad weather claimed the lives of seven people over the Christmas period. The minister, [...]
Morning Assembly looks the perfect RSA type in brutal test for novices March 11, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE RSA CHASE AND THE NEPTUNE NOVICES’ HURDLE FINDING the winner of the RSA Chase (2.05pm) is no easy feat. More often than not, the winner is not the most talented in the contest. It is the one best equipped to cope with the stiffest test imaginable for a staying novice chaser. [...]
Royal Mail shares drop on FTSE 100 debut December 23, 2013 On its first day in the FTSE 100, Royal Mail shares are failing to deliver. After hitting a fresh record high of 605p on Friday, Royal Mail is today the FTSE 100's biggest faller. Sunny Dhanjal, senior trader at Accendo Markets, says that "could be the result of profit taking ahead of the Christmas break." [...]