DEBATE: With House of Fraser closures, does it matter if consumers desert the high street for online outlets? June 8, 2018 With House of Fraser closures, does it matter if consumers desert the high street for online outlets? John Phillips, general manager (EMEA) at Zuora, says YES. Yes, it does matter if consumers desert the high street. Bricks-and-mortar retail is in trouble. Across the US and Europe, online retail is growing exponentially, while offline sales seem [...]
Revealed: The UK cities where £1m properties sell fastest June 7, 2018 Homes worth £1m or more have sold most quickly in Cambridge this year, taking only 45 days on average to secure a buyer – twice as fast as the national average According to property website Rightmove, the top five fastest selling million pound locations are all outside of London: Edinburgh and Harpenden are in [...]
UK house prices edge up in May after April slump – Halifax June 7, 2018 The UK housing market remains subdued, however, house prices in the three months to May were 1.9 per cent higher than the same period a year earlier, according to survey by UK bank Halifax. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 1.5 per cent in May, partially reversing the 3.1 per cent decline in April. [...]
RBS share price slumps as boss Ross McEwan welcomes government share selloff as Labour and Lib Dems question process June 5, 2018 RBS boss Ross McEwan has said it is “the right time to re-start the share sale process” after it emerged the government was offloading a further 7.7 per cent overnight. Chancellor Philip Hammond was advised yesterday to start the process by UK Government Investments (UKGI), the corporate finance arm of the government responsible for managing [...]
House of Fraser denies rumours of CVA showdown June 4, 2018 House of Fraser has insisted its restructuring plan is "on track" despite reports suggesting its landlords could block the plans. The retailer is expected to close a swathe of its stores under a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), the same mechanism used by New Look and Mothercare among others. But some creditors are understood to be [...]
Don’t get too excited by Canada’s cannabis legalisation vote June 4, 2018 On Thursday 7 June, a vote is being held in Canada’s Senate that is likely to see cannabis legalised for recreational use across the country. But the sector remains a risky investment. Legal marijuana could be in the “shops” in Canada by August this year. This follows decriminalisation by a number of US states and [...]
The worst is over? Pent-up demand helps stabilise London’s super prime property market after double-digit declines May 29, 2018 Pent-up demand has helped stabilise London's super-prime property market – but that still hasn't stopped parts of the capital experiencing double-digit declines. Chelsea has endured the steepest drops in prices of £10m-plus homes according to Knight Frank, down 15.5 per cent between August 2015, when the market peaked, and March this year. But there are [...]
Focus On Balham: What’s the property market like in SW12, the historically less cool neighbour to Battersea and Clapham? May 25, 2018 No one wants to be the runt of the litter, but that is exactly what Balham was historically, sandwiched as it is between the Chelsea-aspirant hordes of Battersea and Clapham. “In the past Balham could have been described as the ugly sister of Battersea and Clapham,” says Hamish Scott, branch manager of Hamptons International estate [...]
Property prices in Croydon, who is buy and more May 25, 2018 There was a time when Croydon was famous for three things; Kate Moss, trams and Mark and Jez’s dingy flat in Peep Show. Thankfully, its reputation – and its housing stock – have improved since then and it’s now notable for a whole host of other reasons. “In recent years, Croydon has seen a reversal [...]
London house prices see biggest annual drop in the whole of the UK May 24, 2018 London house prices were the worst performing in the UK over the last year, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS House Price Index, compiled in conjunction with the Land Registry, showed that house prices in the capital decreased by 0.7 per cent over the last year. This [...]