John Lewis’ Monty the Penguin beats Sainsbury’s, Harvey Nichols, Lidl to be crowned most compelling Christmas 2014 advert October 29, 2015 By now you will have met John Lewis' Monty, unwrapped Lidl's little present and cried over Sainsbury's wartime sharing. But which of these adverts is most likely to make you spend money? Despite the debate around whether Sainsbury's might have stolen John Lewis' crown for creating festive ads guaranteed to get you blubbing, it [...]
Which London business pays the highest business rates? Harrods, Citigroup and HSBC- but it’s not as much as the government’s Home Office bill January 16, 2015 Harrods is paying the biggest business rates bill of any business in London while five banks are in the list of top 10 highest payers thanks to their Canary Wharf based UK headquarters. The Knightsbridge retailer is paying £12.04m for it's in-demand and high-end location while fellow luxury store Selfridges is also paying the seventh largest [...]
One third of Brits have already started Christmas shopping September 17, 2015 If you haven’t already done your Christmas shopping, then you might want to get stuck in because a third of UK shoppers are already one step ahead of you this season. A survey conducted by New York-listed technology company Rubicon Project found that 30 per cent of us have already started Christmas shopping. Among parents [...]
Boxing Day sales kick off early online at Amazon, John Lewis, Currys, Harrods, Next and Debenhams December 24, 2014 Amazon is kicking off its Boxing Day sale on Christmas Day. That’s right, you can start hunting for deals if Santa didn’t bring what you wanted before you’ve even had time to digest Christmas dinner. But there are also a host of retailers waiting to open their doors to sale shoppers on Boxing Day that [...]
Cartier to launch Harrods watch pop-up October 23, 2014 If you’re a City gent looking to treat yourself or someone on the prowl for something extra special for the man in your life, head over to Harrods from 25 October to 19 November. Fine jeweller and watchmaker Cartier has announced a pop-up on the ground floor of the iconic department store dedicated to its [...]
Qatari Harrods owners cash in with £118m dividend payment October 30, 2014 Luxury department store Harrods paid out a £118m dividend to its Qatari owners after making record sales of £794m in the year ended 1 February 2014, up from £716m in the previous year. The business also paid a £35.6m royalty to Harrods Corporate Management. It said the year had seen a “confirmed programme of significant [...]
The restaurants truffling feathers: Best truffle venues in London August 6, 2015 London’s love-affair with the truffle continues apace with the opening of Sackville’s in Mayfair. Here are some of our favourite truffle spots SACKVILLE’S This Mayfair new opening is crazy about this distinctive fungus, serving it on practically every dish. Last week our restaurant critic fell in love with Sackville’s self-titled wagyu steak burger with foie [...]
Tax competition and transport investment: Why business rate reform is a big boon for London October 8, 2015 Local government finance is at the best of times unlikely to set the pulse of a City A.M. reader racing. The way in which our councils collect business rates, and how this is dished out by Whitehall, is a convoluted process to say the least, and hardly the most exciting corner of public policy. All [...]
At your service: Meet the concierges who run the lives of London’s elite homeowners June 25, 2015 The humble bowler-hatted doorman was once a tell-tale sign of a prestigious London address. But he’s quickly being replaced by a tenacious new breed of concierge. The industry travels with the global super-rich, arriving at whichever city blossoms into the darling of the international property market. Multilingual, persistent and well-connected, London’s hard-working concierges are on [...]
Fifties ex-council flat goes on sale in South Kensington for £1.15m May 22, 2015 We all know good things come in small packages, but this is ridiculous: a two-bedroom flat in South Kensington has become the first ex-local authority home in London to go on the market for more than £1m. Yep, for £1.15m, this 700 sq ft home can be yours. The apartment is "exquisitely refurbished", estate agent [...]