FREE (DELIVERY) TO A GOOD HOME October 13, 2009 Amazon UK is offering free delivery on everything in the run up to Christmas, scrapping the previous £5 threshold to qualify for the service. Free delivery will apply for all items until January 1, but does not apply to goods from third party sellers trading on Amazon. Amazon UK, along with Argos and eBay, is [...]
IBM aims high with new cloud computing service November 16, 2009 IBM has launched a new cloud computing service, in a bid to take on companies such as Amazon.com, Google and Microsoft. Cloud computing allows firms to run software and store information in remote data centers that can be accessed over the internet. IBM’s Smart Analytics Cloud will first be adopted internally. IBM, the world’s biggest [...]
Royal Mail faces massive strike October 7, 2009 BRITAIN’S postal network is about to grind to a halt, with Royal Mail workers today expected to have voted in favour of the first national strike in two years. With the strike destined to bring chaos to Christmas deliveries, online retail giant Amazon has cancelled a contract with the firm worth some £25m. Amazon, Royal [...]
The prezzies kids will really want to find under the tree this year November 23, 2009 THE TOY WORLD has been set alight by a renewed desire for gift-buying after a year of belt-tightening and anxiety. And boy is there demand – John Lewis is doing a roaring trade (up 15 per cent on last year at this time), helped by sales of its toys of which the bestseller is the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 7, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES SPAIN AIMS TO BRING EU STATES INTO LINE The European Union should apply “corrective measures” against member states that fail to meet their obligations under a new 10-year plan to improve the bloc’s competitiveness, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s premier, said. In a proposal likely to stir controversy among other EU governments, Mr [...]
Shazam secures LA backing October 14, 2009 Shazam, the London-based mobile music service, yesterday said that it has secured one of Silicon Valley’s most successful investors, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (KPCB) as a backer. Shazam is seeking to capitalise on the popularity in downloadable mobile phone applications. The group said that it now has 50m users, and hopes to double its [...]
SIGNED, SEALED, UNDELIVERED October 12, 2009 IN A FURTHER blow to Royal Mail’s reputation, the department chain and supermarket-owner John Lewis yesterday said it would use other firms to deliver its wares. The firm said: “We have ensured that postal strikes don’t affect our customers by switching the business to other carriers.” Royal Mail is considering a series of rolling strikes [...]
Debenhams kicks off retail price war November 16, 2009 Debenhams yesterday announced it will be slashing £250m off prices in a four-day sale this week, in a move which it predicts will spark a price war similar to the frenzied discounting seen last Christmas. Rival Marks & Spencer’s executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose, said earlier this month he did not expect a repeat of [...]
Postal union in legal fight over temps November 2, 2009 THE Communication Workers Union (CWU) will on?Friday ask the High Court to issue an injunction against Royal Mail to stop it from taking on 30,000 agency workers. The CWU believes that Royal Mail is breaking the law because it is illegal to take on staff to cover workers involved in a lawful industrial dispute, according [...]
Post strike costs London 500m as talks restart October 25, 2009 POSTAL strikes are set to cost London more than £500m in lost business, the London Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) will reveal today. The news comes as fresh talks open up between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), mediated by Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress. CWU members walked out [...]