Rise of the robots: Advanced robotics spark an investment boom as experts predict a robot-led industrial revolution is coming January 18, 2016 The world is on the cusp of a revolution in robotics and there has been a surge of investment in artificial intelligence recently, with a spread of innovations fast developing which will change the global economy. Last year, the sector experienced a boom in mergers and acquisitions as $2bn worth of deals were completed, according to [...]
Black Friday UK 2015: Bargain bonanza signals a never-ending sales season with Cyber Monday, Panic Saturday and Manic Monday to name a few November 26, 2015 Sales periods have sprung up around the world that give shoppers the bargains they crave while allowing sellers to offload old stock or generate footfall. But retailers face a period of discounting that could undermine the advantages they used to bring. In America, it is Black Friday, while in Europe January sales have kept cash tills [...]
UK footfall slumps on Panic Saturday as online retailing wins over high street December 21, 2015 Footfall slumped across high streets and shopping centres this weekend as consumers took advantage of retailers offering even later deadlines for Christmas deliveries to shop online rather than venturing out in stores. The traditional stampede of customers on so-called Panic Saturday failed to materialise to the same extent as last year, with footfall down by [...]
London’s Silicon Roundabout is losing its appeal – UHY Hacker Young November 16, 2015 Sky-high rents are beginning to dampen the enthusiasm of would-be tech entrepreneurs looking to set up shop in London’s Silicon Roundabout. The number of start-ups established near the Old Street Roundabout dropped to 10,280 in the 12 months to March, down roughly a third compared with the 12 months to March 2014. The research published [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: The best deals on healthcare and beauty from retailers including Boots, Holland & Barrett, Superdrug and others November 26, 2015 The Black Friday shopping deals have begun ahead of the main day on 27 November, and the biggest beauty and healthcare stores are in on the action. Every year, the day after Thanksgiving is the most popular shopping day fo the year, when consumers turn their attention towards Christmas and snap up the bargains on [...]
Royal Bank of Canada picks Brookfield’s 100 Bishopsgate for its new UK headquarters November 2, 2015 Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has signed a pre-let deal with Brookfield Property Partners to move its UK headquarters to the developer’s 100 Bishopsgate tower. The bank, which has been on the hunt for a new head office for a year, will take the first seven floors of the 37-storey tower in the City, equal to [...]
Warren Buffett values companies with strong brands: Should you? February 5, 2016 Coca-Cola, American Express, Heinz, Warren Buffett is a well-known advocate of buying and holding familiar companies with strong brands. “The dynamics of capitalism guarantee that competitors will repeatedly assault any business ‘castle’ that is earning high returns,” he wrote in 2007. “Therefore a formidable barrier such as a company being the low-cost producer or possessing [...]
Fintech challengers like Square, ApplePay and Funding Circle could undermine banks’ credit ratings in 2016 according to Standard & Poor’s December 16, 2015 The rise of fintech is challenging traditional banks, and could even undermine their credit rating, according to Standard & Poor's. The ratings agency expects global investment in 'non bank' financial service to be worth $24bn (£16bn) this year, double the figure in 2014. Traditional banks are still trying to adapt to the low interest rate, and [...]
London office rents make record recovery since the crash October 25, 2015 The City office market is in record health, according to research from Knight Frank that shows rents have made a speedier recovery since the 2007 crisis than following previous financial downturns. In its latest report, the upmarket estate agent has tracked how rents in the Square Mile have fared since their pre-crisis peak in the fourth [...]
Best and worst UK online shops: EE has the worst website, but AO.com and Liz Earle top ranking October 22, 2015 EE has been named the worst online shop in the UK by consumer watchdog Which?. Slammed by confused customers for a website that was difficult to navigate and lacking necessary information, the telecoms giant scored just 58 out of 100 in a Which? ranking of the best and worst online stores. Most of us prefer to do [...]