Nando’s to buy burger chain for £30m September 17, 2010 The UK arm of chicken restaurant chain Nando’s has confirmed that it has agreed a £30m deal to buy a rival firm. It plans to take over Clapham House Group, the company behind Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) and The Real Greek. Nando’s said that Clapham’s brands were struggling in the volatile market and needed its [...]
Eurozone mood highest since August 2007 as Germany’s recovery continues February 24, 2011 BUSINESS confidence in the Eurozone sprung back in February, rising above the expectations of economists to a 41-month high, official data showed yesterday. The EU’s sentiment index recorded 107.8, a point up from January’s upwardly revised score of 106.8. “Consumers, industry and services confidence all contributed to the rise,” said Eoin O’Callaghan of BNP Paribas. [...]
HMV sales plunge by 10pc in World Cup blow September 9, 2010 Music, books and games retailer HMV Group reported a 10.6 per cent fall in sales for the first quarter as the World Cup distracted customers from DVDs and books. The group, which is trying to widen its product mix with live music and ticketing, said it was pinning its hopes on a successful Christmas period. [...]
HMV sales plunge by 10pc in World Cup blow September 9, 2010 Music, books and games retailer HMV Group reported a 10.6 per cent fall in sales for the first quarter as the World Cup distracted customers from DVDs and books. The group, which is trying to widen its product mix with live music and ticketing, said it was pinning its hopes on a successful Christmas period. [...]
Manufacturing optimism high yet inflation persists March 6, 2011 BRITAIN’S factory boom shows little sign of slowing down, according to a survey by manufacturing group EEF released today. However, rising global prices are increasingly being passed on to consumers, the report revealed. The survey reported a record strong quarter in the three months to February, with a positive balance of 25 per cent of [...]
US data shows housing uptick October 4, 2010 Pending sales of previously owned US homes rose to a four-month high in August, implying the housing market was regaining some stability after recent steep declines following the end of a home-buyer tax credit. Another report yesterday showed new orders received by domestic factories fell 0.5 per cent in August as demand for transportation equipment [...]
Britons hit by uncertainty September 26, 2010 BRITISH households felt their wallets stretched even further in September as a combination of rampant inflation, job market uncertainty and static incomes caused a marked deterioration in households’ finances, the Markit Household Finance Index will show today. Markit’s survey revealed that 27 per cent of households reported a deterioration in September compared to just 7 [...]
Shoppers hit cards again ådespite economic gloom September 16, 2010 SHOPPERS are splashing out with their credit and debit cards at a near-double digit rate, figures showed yesterday. Card users put 9.2 per cent more on plastic last month than they did in the same month of the previous year. August was the fourth month in a row during which the annual rate of growth [...]
Shoppers hit cards again ådespite economic gloom September 16, 2010 SHOPPERS are splashing out with their credit and debit cards at a near-double digit rate, figures showed yesterday. Card users put 9.2 per cent more on plastic last month than they did in the same month of the previous year. August was the fourth month in a row during which the annual rate of growth [...]
At a glance: All the crucial points in the ICB’s report April 11, 2011 THE AIMS l The focus is to make banks more stable, the UK banking system more competitive and to reduce the costs to the economy and taxpayers of any remaining bank failures. The banking sector must be returned to normal market forces. l Enhanced competition is needed between UK banks to reduce concentration and offer [...]