Britons abroad have had an expensive summer – here’s how much the nation overspent due to the Brexit vote August 21, 2016 Britons on holiday abroad have overspent to the tune of roughly £500m this summer due to the fall in the value of sterling. Recent retail sales figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed Britons spent more than expected after the EU referendum – but retail strategist Richard Hyman said "when the suntan starts to fade, they will [...]
Amazon’s creating more than a thousand new jobs in Essex August 18, 2016 Brexit, what Brexit? Amazon is creating more than a thousand new jobs in Essex with the opening of a new fulfilment centre in the area, it has announced. The centre will be located in Tilbury and Amazon plans to open the facility by spring next year. The latest depot adds to three research and development centres – where drone technology [...]
Discounting drives biggest online sales growth in 20 months in July as retailers scrap with Amazon over customers August 17, 2016 Online sales growth hit a 20-month high in July as summer discounts convinced internet shoppers to click to the checkout. Growth in July was 19 per cent year-on-year as the value for the average basket of goods fell from £80.52 in June to £78.39 last month, according to data from IMRG and Capgemini. Home and [...]
US cloud firm snaps up UK startup for European expansion August 17, 2016 US cloud computing company Datapipe has snapped up a UK startup to kickstart its expansion into Europe. It has acquired Adapt, a five-year-old startup majority owned by private equity investor Lyceum Capital and which manages cloud computing services for companies such as Made.com and the National Trust for an undisclosed sum. The firm has not been put [...]
Four of the best: Investment opportunities from around the globe August 16, 2016 Markets have been turbulent this year and much talk has focused on potential risks. A smattering of uncertainties to consider include the ramifications of the Brexit vote and whether the UK will enter recession. Nor does anyone know how extraordinary monetary policy in Europe will pan out, or the ultimate impact there’ll be from the trillions [...]
Drop in supermarkets sales leads to UK plc revenues sliding August 15, 2016 Dwindling supermarket sales have weighed heavily on the performance of UK plc, causing listed companies’ revenues to dip 2.2 per cent to £341.7bn in the last quarter, according to new research from retail stockbroker The Share Centre. Supermarkets, which account for nearly one third of the UK's publicly listed companies, saw sales fall below £100bn [...]
Sky plots Spain launch as online TV war escalates August 14, 2016 The battle for control of the growing online streaming market is heating up as Sky prepares to launch Now TV in Spain. It’s understood Sky plans to use Spain as a springboard in to other European markets if the Spanish launch is a success. Now TV will be competing directly with US streaming site Netflix in [...]
After the whistle: Premier League clubs have been busy monetising content this summer which Sky, BT Sport and the BBC would eagerly compete for August 12, 2016 In recent weeks, Sky Sports has had David Beckham running through the streets taking in 10 months of Premier League footballing drama. But the UK’s top flight tournament is no longer seasonal. Over the summer, fans have been assiduously following transfer news and international friendlies with a new level of fervour. And Premier League clubs [...]
Checking out: non-exec director waves goodbye to Morrisons after Ocado deal August 12, 2016 Irwin Lee, a non-executive director at Morrisons – and chair of the supermarket's remuneration committee – will be leaving the board at the end of August. Lee is stepping down to become the chief executive of Rustan Supercenters Inc, a supermarket chain in the Philippines, his native country. He joined Morrisons in July last year to help [...]
This insurer is calling the shots in the war for tech talent August 11, 2016 Finding appropriately skilled staff for technology projects is a problem which plagues many businesses, but one insurance company has told City A.M. it seems to have it sussed. Gary Hoffman, chief executive officer of Hastings Group Holdings, revealed the company was increasingly looking beyond other insurance firms to sniff out the best talent and turning to tech giants, such [...]