CAR TALK September 28, 2010 FERRARI SLEEKEST YET This is Ferrari’s strictly limited edition (pre sold-out) SA Aperta – to be launched at the Paris Motor Show. Ferrari will build only 80 SA Apertas in homage to Italian design house Pininfarina, which is 80 this year. The V12-powered roadster sits lower to the ground than other Ferrari models and has [...]
PLAYBOY CLUB SET TO REOPEN IN LONDON October 19, 2010 EXCITING news for fans of the good life – Playboy, the iconic brand set up by Hugh Hefner, is reopening its private members club in London, over two decades after the original closed its doors at 45 Park Lane back in the Eighties. This time around Hef’s relocating to swanky new premises at Mayfair, and [...]
PLAYBOY CLUB SET TO REOPEN IN LONDON October 19, 2010 EXCITING news for fans of the good life – Playboy, the iconic brand set up by Hugh Hefner, is reopening its private members club in London, over two decades after the original closed its doors at 45 Park Lane back in the Eighties. This time around Hef’s relocating to swanky new premises at Mayfair, and [...]
Citi notches up profits in third quarter October 18, 2010 US BANK Citigroup yesterday gave the sector a much-needed fillip, as it beat Wall Street expectations with a year-on-year surge in third quarter net profits to $2.2bn ($1.4bn). Citi’s third consecutive quarterly operating profit – which translated into earnings of seven cents per share – was mainly due to declining provisions for credit losses, benefits [...]
House of Fraser celebrates sales January 10, 2010 Own-brand labels helped department store group House of Fraser to surging Christmas sales. Like-for-like sales rose 7.1 per cent in the eight weeks to 2 January, following a 1.5 per cent fall during the same period a year ago. Chief executive John King said the figures meant House of Fraser was a festive winner, putting [...]
The art world heats up once more October 13, 2010 AS an army of glamorous art industry movers and shakers traipsed into Frieze Art Fair’s marquee yesterday, a young woman was standing outside distributing paper leaflets for an upcoming exhibition. Not that surprising perhaps – some galleries need all the help they can get publicising themselves – except that the gallery in question was the [...]
House of Fraser to revitalise Swinging Sixties brand Biba September 5, 2010 DEPARTMENT store House of Fraser is this week set to breathe new life back into Biba, the cult clothing brand which defined the 1960s. Biba, which will now be fronted by model Daisy Lowe, is to relaunch on Wednesday at the group’s Oxford Street store, featuring leopard print, faux-fur and denim clothing, party frocks and [...]
Wall Street is lifted by robust Citigroup earnings October 18, 2010 US stocks advanced yesterday as stronger-than-expected profit from Citigroup helped financial shares shake off worries that the foreclosure mess could threaten the stability of the housing market. Apple, which hit an all-time high during the regular session, disappointed investors after reporting gross margins and iPad shipments. Its shares skidded five per cent in after-hours trading [...]
Predators circle £200m remains of Connaught September 12, 2010 CONNAUGHT’S surviving businesses could be sold for up to £200m after repairs specialist Mears and construction firm Morgan Sindell carved up its social housing arm. Administrator KPMG has received a flurry of offers for Connaught’s compliance and environmental divisions, which are trading as normal. Mears, property consultancy RPS Group and outsourcing group Mitie are understood [...]
Persimmon to pay dividend on sales rise August 24, 2010 HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon resumed interim dividend payments on the back of a return to pre-tax profit yesterday, while the chief executive remained confident the firm can ride out turbulence in the market. “We are 95 per cent sold up on our targets for the year, so I’m reasonably happy about our position,” said chief executive Mike [...]