It’s about time: Revolut secures a full European banking licence December 13, 2018 Fintech banking startup Revolut has finally secured a full European banking licence, more than a year after first applying for authorisation in Lithuania. As such, the banking-app-turned bank has today unveiled plans for full current accounts in Europe, as well as future efforts in developing its own consumer lending product. The startup will launch with the [...]
Video killed the radio star – is it TV’s turn for the chop? February 27, 2019 I read the news about the proposed merger of BBC and ITV today with interest. The new service – apparently called ‘Britbox’ – will reportedly cost around £5 a month. Just last week, I interviewed outgoing CEO of UKTV, Darren Childs, for my Media Masters podcast, where we discussed the future of television and the [...]
The American Clock at the Old Vic theatre review: A bad production of a bad Arthur Miller play February 14, 2019 The American Clock is Arthur Miller’s attempt to chart the death of the old America and the traumatic birth of the new in the years following the Great Depression. It has a loose, fidgety structure – it’s a series of vignettes, really – but the central dramatic arc follows the Baums, a well-to-do family who, [...]
Snap loses its second finance chief in less than a year, following a string of executive exits January 16, 2019 The chief financial officer of Snap is to resign after spending less than 12 months in the role, sending the social media platform's share price down more than eight per cent in after-hours trading. Tim Stone, who joined Snap from Amazon in May, is only the latest executive to leave the parent company of photo-sharing [...]
The subscription economy may be the future for businesses, as firms switch to selling outcomes rather than products August 29, 2018 When was the last time you actually bought a DVD or CD? Most likely, you subscribe to a digital streaming service, like Netflix or Spotify. Congratulations, you’re part of the burgeoning subscription economy. But this subscription-based economy isn’t just limited to entertainment media. Increasingly, both individual consumers and big businesses are finding it more convenient [...]
Footlocker shares leap on strong Nike sales November 21, 2018 Shares in trainer retailer Foot Locker jumped by as much as 20 per cent today after its third quarter results showed an increase in shoe sales, as customers flocked to buy Nike’s new Air Max range. Analysts had feared that Nike’s move to start selling shoes via Amazon and its own stores would hurt Foot [...]
Chinese behemoth Alibaba hails significant revenue hike, despite profit blip August 23, 2018 Alibaba today bolstered its position as China’s largest online retailer, revealing revenue growth of 61 per cent for its first quarter. The group published an income of 80.9bn yuan (£9.2bn) in the three months ending June, marginally ahead of forecasts, and an increase in customers on the Taobao shopping platform as 576m people flocked to the website and app, up four [...]
Editor’s notes: Jeff Bezos should look closer to home for ideas on where to spend his fortune, new peer Bethell is a Lord to applaud, and the Economist shows how to stand up to social media bullies September 7, 2018 Amazon has joined Apple in the ranks of $1 trillion companies based on market capitalisation. Shortly before his company hit this massive (but meaningless) valuation, founder Jeff Bezos was pondering how to spend his vast wealth. Bezos is estimated to be sitting on a $130bn (£100bn) fortune – and earlier this summer he was asked [...]
Going it alone: Tech giants to be hit by UK digital services tax October 29, 2018 Technology giants operating in the UK will be served with a narrowly-targeted digital services tax, chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. With consultations to occur before the tax goes live in April 2020, the chancellor said the move is to ensure "the UK continues to be the best place in the world to start and scale [...]
FAANGs come out to play in Halloween shares surge October 31, 2018 Technology's biggest players, lumped together as the so-called FAANG stocks, have ended their October losing streak which had left investors spooked with just one day to go. Netflix's share price saw the biggest gains out of the FAANGs grouping, rising almost seven per cent this afternoon off the back of better-than-expected results for Facebook last night. The social [...]