Apple iPhone 6 preview: The A to Z of what to expect ahead of the big launch event September 8, 2014 We’re finally here. It’s less than 24 hours before the not-so-secret but kind-of-secret launch of what everyone expects to be the iPhone 6 and Apple’s first wearable device. It’s going to be a big surprise if it turns out Tim Cook has something else up his sleeve considering the healthy doses of rumour and speculation [...]
What you need to know before the open April 16, 2014 European bourses are expected to open higher today. After a very choppy day yesterday, US markets closed up, despite Russian claims that Ukraine’s “close to civil war”. Weak GDP data from China – growth slowed to 7.4 per cent in the first quarter – could add jitters to markets, though, but there's also UK unemployment [...]
Primark set to launch its first stores in the US April 23, 2014 ASSOCIATED British Foods (ABF) is taking Primark to the US, the FTSE 100 conglomerate announced yesterday, as it reported a 26 per cent leap in the budget clothing chain’s profits. Primark is set to open a 70,000 square foot store in Boston in 2015 and it is also in talks to open a further eight [...]
Boris follows Cameron to the Two Cities lunch April 15, 2014 PUNDITS watching to see if Boris Johnson will try to return to parliament and run in the next election might be pricking their ears at the news from the Two Cities Conservative fundraiser. Following David Cameron’s guest appearance at last year’s do, Boris Johnson has been revealed as this year’s guest and by all accounts, [...]
Why luxury means more than one thing in China January 16, 2014 China's wealthy have been buoying luxury brands for years, with high-end Western retailers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Burberry touting their wares across the upmarket shopping districts of Shanghai and Beijing. But China's just seen the steepest cut-back on spending in at least five years, according to a survey by the Hurun Report – [...]
Britain is world’s leading online retail exporter January 20, 2014 BRITAIN’S online retail industry generated a bigger trade surplus than any other country last year thanks to thriving overseas demand for UK fashion brands and websites such as Burberry and Asos. A study out today from OC&C Strategy Consultants and Google reveals that UK online retailers exported a net £720m more goods than were imported [...]
Women now make up one fifth of top UK boardrooms March 25, 2014 THE NUMBER of women in Britain’s biggest company boardrooms now stands at more than 20 per cent, with just 48 more women needed on FTSE 100 boards before the government’s 25 per cent target is met. Women now make up 20.7 per cent of all FTSE 100 boards, according to the latest Cranfield Female FTSE board report, leaving [...]
Bottom Line: Overseas is the only place for luxury to grow December 5, 2013 IN THE UK, Mulberry is usually mentioned in the same breath as Burberry, with both brands attracting big name stars to their catwalk shows and campaigns, and copycat handbags rife on the high street. But the comparison is somewhat unfair. Burberry – with a market cap of £6.5bn and 206 stores (excluding concessions) worldwide – [...]
From the City to the catwalk: Not such a road less travelled February 13, 2014 LOVE isn’t the only thing in the air today, there’s also a heavy whiff of chic – London is about to be taken over by spindly legged, spectacularly-heeled, coconut water-drinking fashionistas as London Fashion Week kicks off. Over the next few days Somerset House will play host to the likes of Mulberry, Burberry and Vivienne [...]
Seven habits of the most effective digital enterprises May 23, 2014 In an age where most developed economies are experiencing lacklustre growth, digital continues to expand at an ever more rapid pace. E-commerce is booming at double-digit rates in the US, as well as the majority of European countries, and is rising across Asia. However, many companies are struggling to move beyond the experimentation stage of [...]