Mild winter and lower use hit Centrica outlook November 20, 2014 BRITISH Gas owner Centrica yesterday reduced its earnings forecast, as milder winter weather cut into its revenues. The firm said the average residential gas consumption for the first 10 months of the year was 21 per cent lower than in 2013, while the average electricity consumption was down seven per cent. It added that the [...]
General Election 2015: The London battlegrounds that could hold the balance of power February 5, 2015 London could hold the balance of power in the upcoming General Election, with the major parties gearing up to target at least 11 of its tightest seats. Five London constituencies feature in Labour’s top 50 target seats – Hendon, Brent Central, Brentford & Isleworth, Croydon Central and Enfield North. The Conservatives are looking to take [...]
Aldi to hire 35,000 new staff for expanding discount drive November 10, 2014 GERMAN discounter Aldi is to create 35,000 new jobs and employ up to 1,000 apprentices as it continues to expand its presence in the UK, the company announced yesterday. During a visit from the Prime Minister David Cameron to the chain’s headquarters in Atherstone, Warwickshire, Aldi reiterated its commitment to increasing the number of stores [...]
Sainsbury’s new boss Mike Coupe blames “perfect storm” for sales drop October 1, 2014 Sainsbury's new chief executive said that a “perfect storm” of effects had plunged sales further into the red in the second quarter as the supermarket retailer cut its full-year sales forecast and warned that it might review its dividend. In his first official trading update since taking over from Justin King in July, Mike [...]
Tesco suffers worst decline in grocery sector October 21, 2014 TESCO emerged as the biggest loser in the grocery sector over the past three months, despite sales showing signs of recovery, as the supermarket price war and fierce competition continued to take its toll on the troubled retailer. The company, which stunned the City last month with revelations of a £250m black hole in its [...]
FTSE edges higher despite declines in insurers’ shares – London Report November 6, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index ended slightly higher yesterday, with RSA leading insurers lower on weak premiums and drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline slipping after trading without the attraction of its latest dividend. The FTSE 100 ended 0.18 per cent higher at 6,551.15 points, after rising to as much as 6,580.21 earlier. RSA slipped five per cent to 460.10p, [...]
Black Friday to kick off £42bn Christmas spree November 23, 2014 Britons are expected to splurge £42.4bn in the run-up to Christmas – £1.5bn more than last year – as retailers brace themselves for an American-style Black Friday shopping frenzy set to take over their websites and stores this week. Sales are forecast to rise by four per cent year-on-year in the period starting from today [...]
Fitbug share price: The curious case of the rocketing penny stock October 28, 2014 Penny stock Fitbug continued its meteoric rise yesterday as shares jumped a further 60 per cent to 6.22p, leaving the wearable fitness tracker-maker perplexed as to the reason why. Fitbug gained investors’ attention last Wednesday when the little-known firm announced a potentially lucrative deal for its £49.95 Orb wristband to be stocked in 1,800 Target [...]
Focus on Blackfriars: The rise and rise of City towers on the South Bank January 15, 2015 Of all the makeovers the City of London has undergone in the ancient heart of the capital, Blackfriars is set to be one of the most breathtaking. The opening of Blackfriars South in 2013 marked the first new train station to open on the south bank of the Thames in 120 years. Commuters will no [...]
Amazon Black Friday deals deliver busiest day ever as shoppers surge online ahead of Cyber Monday November 29, 2014 It's not even Cyber Monday yet, but Amazon has clocked up its busiest ever day of sales in the UK thanks to Black Friday, selling 64 items every second yesterday. Shoppers ordered more than 5.5 million items such as TVs, tablets and toys with huge price reductions, beating last year’s Black Friday sales of four [...]