Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014: Could Manic Monday beat both to become the biggest retail day of the year? November 25, 2014 With Black Friday bargains from the biggest retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Currrys PC World, UK shoppers are expected to go hell for leather in the lead up to Christmas this year. But two firms are fighting against the consensus that says Black Friday and Cyber Monday will see us [...]
Amazon sales growth halves February 3, 2014 AMAZON’S sales only grew by 12.6 per cent to £4.5bn in the UK last year, a slowdown from its previous growth of 21 per cent in 2011 and 2012. The online retailer’s UK sales rose by around $800m compared to sales a year earlier, but came in under 2012’s rise of $1bn and 2011’s $1.4bn. [...]
Budget 2016: George Osborne’s speech in full March 16, 2016 George Osborne has just revealed the Budget for 2016. There was good news for businesses with corporation tax being sliced and business rates being reformed – but bad news for smokers and students who hate maths. Mr Deputy Speaker, Today I report on an economy set to grow faster than any other major advanced economy in [...]
Mark Zuckerberg’s book club: Facebook founder invites people to join his 2015 challenge to read a book every other week January 5, 2015 It’s that time of year again when resolutions are made and many more broken. Those struggling to stick to theirs should be heartened that even the world’s biggest entrepreneur and richest man thinks he needs to do a little self-improvement. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has set himself a challenge of reading a new book every [...]
Royal Mail share price rises as Christmas packages pick up January 22, 2015 The figures Shares in Royal Mail went up by 4.18 per cent to £4.49 in trading this morning, following the company's positive results for the Christmas period. Group revenue rose one per cent during the nine months to 28 December, indicating the company is performing in line with expectations. The UK postal service [...]
In charts: Spending on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Manic Monday to peak at £470k per minute November 26, 2014 Retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Amazon and Currys PC World are gearing up for what are tipped to be some of the biggest shopping days of the year. The retailers have unveiled a whole range of deals on everything from electricals like TVs, tablets and other gadgets to designer watches, clothing and [...]
Winter running essentials: The best gear for cold weather runs from trainers and gloves to iPhone armbands November 17, 2014 Running in the colder months is great fun, just pick up the right gear. KHOMO iPHONE 6 ARMBAND Nobody runs without listening to a playlist on their iPhone these days. This one from Khomo is iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ready, and features a touch-responsive plastic sheath so your precious phone won’t croak when you’re [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Google Tax set to raise £1bn from companies shifting profits overseas December 3, 2014 Starbucks, Apple and Google will pay higher UK taxes under a new tax that looks to stem the tide of multinational companies shifting profits to overseas tax havens. The Diverted Profits Tax, already dubbed the Google Tax, is set to raise over £1bn over the next five years by applying a 25 per cent tax [...]
With Lending Club’s IPO capping off another string of tech floats, is the sector in a bubble? December 14, 2014 Jasper Lawler is market analyst at CMC Markets, says Yes. Tech stocks are not seeing the same excesses as in the dot-com boom. But there are some clear parallels to be drawn, and lofty valuations support exercising caution. The dot-com bubble was characterised by the boom and bust of Pets.com, and in 2014 we’ve seen [...]
Jean-Claude Juncker says he should have changed Luxembourg’s tax laws November 27, 2014 Jean Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, has responded to criticisms of Luxembourg’s tax system while he was in government. The former Prime Minister said he wished his government had legislated to to give it more control of tax deals by international companies. He said the tax structure was a way to diversify [...]