Why sterling’s decline could push up inflation once again January 17, 2013 THERE was a time when a weaker pound used to boost exports. These days, it doesn’t appear to make a noticeable difference, in the short term at least. Last year’s brilliant growth in car exports – the UK sold more cars abroad than ever before in its history, one of the most cheerful news stories [...]
Royal London balances out mixed results November 6, 2012 ROYAL London Group, the biggest mutual life and pensions group in the UK, yesterday revealed flat new business growth for the year, with slower inflows for its fund managers offset by increased business for its pension and protection arms. The company, comprised of eight separate business, said total new life and pensions business flatlined at [...]
Olympic boom fuels sales lift at Sports Direct October 24, 2012 BRITAIN’S biggest sporting goods retailer Sports Direct yesterday reported an 18 per cent rise in recent sales as customers caught London Olympics fever and kitted out children for a return to school. The group, which owns Sports Direct.com and Lillywhites stores as well as brands such as Slazenger, Lonsdale and Dunlop, said yesterday group total [...]
Bosideng London founder Mr Gao is a man with a plan October 21, 2012 THE LAST time you walked on South Molton Street you would have gone past The Hog in the Pound, a not especially enticing-looking pub that sat at the top of the famous road where it meets with Oxford Street. Walk there today and it looks completely different. Let’s just say it’s had an upgrade; £25m [...]
London Collections Men: day one January 7, 2013 The inaugural three-day showcase is back and bigger than ever AFTER A stellar debut last summer, London Collections: Men kicked off in style yesterday with David Cameron officially opening the festivities with a reception at Downing Street. This year’s event will showcase over 60 of the capital’s best menswear designers, cementing the capital’s position as [...]
FTSE up despite regulatory probes December 6, 2012 The FTSE 100 was up in early trading, rising 0.4 per cent to break through the important 5,900 barrier, with some of the main share price moves driven by regulatory investigations. Rolls-Royce fell heavily after admitting that it was co-operating with the Serious Fraud Office on a probe into potential corruption and bribery at its [...]
Great Portland raises £140m for shopping spree in the West End November 14, 2012 GREAT PORTLAND Estates yesterday announced it had raised £140.6m from a placing of shares that will help fuel another shopping spree in London’s West End. The London-focused developer, which already owns swathes of West End property, said it plans to use the proceeds to buy “unloved assets”, let on cheap rents which it can refurbish [...]
Key tourist attractions knocked by rainy summer and Olympics October 8, 2012 LONDON’S tourism hotspots have been hit hard by a combination of Britain’s wettest summer for 100 years and the distraction of the Olympic Games, an industry group revealed yesterday. Visitor numbers to London dropped by an average of 15 per cent in the three months to August 2012 compared to the same months in 2011, [...]
Train pain for season ticket commuters November 28, 2012 COMMUTERS should brace themselves for season ticket price hikes of up to six per cent in January, despite the government’s intervention to stem inflation-linked fare rises. Passengers from Canterbury will be worst hit in percentage terms, with the price of an annual season ticket to London rising 5.9 per cent to £4,860 in the new [...]
Gatwick looks to grow through single runway as traffic rises November 28, 2012 GATWICK executives talked up the airport’s chances of competing with London’s biggest hubs yesterday as the firm posted rising revenues and traffic. Britain’s second-biggest airport said passengers rose 1.2 per cent on last year to 19.9m in the half-year to the end of September. Turnover jumped 3.6 per cent to £325.8m, helped in part by [...]