So long, McCormick: Premier Foods updates status from “it’s complicated” to “in a relationship” with Nissin April 22, 2016 Premier Foods might have shrugged off overtures made to it by US spice giant McCormick, but it appears to be settling down with Japanese suitor Nissin instead. The food group behind Mr Kipling and Bisto updated its status. No longer is the firm having to say "it's complicated"; as of this morning it is in a "relationship" with the [...]
Uber agrees $100m settlement as agreement reached that drivers are still contractors – not employees April 22, 2016 Uber has agreed a $100m (£69m) class-action settlement with its drivers, allowing the ride-sharing app to continue classifying its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. The lawsuits – one in California and one in Massachusetts – will be settled with a payment of $84m to the two plaintiffs, while a second $16m payment will be [...]
Prepare to salivate: John Lewis predicts the 10 things we’re going to go nuts for in autumn/winter 2016 April 22, 2016 Yes, the summer has only just arrived (or has it? Is this really it?) but retailers are already one step ahead of us, forecasting what we'll be buying this autumn/winter. Well it is only 246 days until Christmas. So while you might be daydreaming about which holiday clothes you're going to splurge on, the buyers [...]
Masthaven secures first retail banking licence of 2016 as challenger banks keep up the pressure on traditional groups April 21, 2016 Here's proof – if you needed it – that the rise of challenger banks continues. The government has granted its first retail banking licence of the year to Masthaven Bank – and the group is promising to "disrupt the market" with its approach to savings, mortgages and staff. Masthaven Bank received the thumbs up from the Prudential Regulation [...]
Happy Birthday Your Majesty: The Queen celebrates her 90th birthday in pictures April 21, 2016 Thousands of people lined the streets of Windor to watch Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh on a walkabout as part of HRH's 90th birthday celebrations today. Britain's longest-reigning monarch and her life-long partner walked for part of the journey, before being driven past the crowds who came out en force to mark the day. Well-wishers reportedly sang [...]
Estate Agent Wars: Competitions watchdog warns firms over suspected collusion in OnTheMarket antitrust row April 21, 2016 Has the government just hammered the final nail in the coffin for OntheMarket? Estate agents have been sent a warning by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), telling them they may be breaking the law by making "joint decisions" to join the portal and exit rivals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Those who are suspected of [...]
Lloyds Banking Group reveals hundreds more job cuts in “dangerous race to bottom” April 21, 2016 Lloyds Banking Group is making a further 625 people redundant as part of a restructure that will result in a 10 per cent reduction in headcount. Around 80 of the jobs being cut will come from the IT department, which the bank is planning to offshore to India in what union Unite has dubbed "a dangerous race to the [...]
London house prices will continue to grow even if the UK leaves the EU, say homeowners April 21, 2016 Parts of London's property market might be stumbling, but that's not stopping the capital's homeowners being the most confident people in the country that Brexit would not affect their house prices. Foolhardy? Maybe. But according to a new survey, London's homeowners expect to see double-digit growth in their property prices over the next six months – [...]
Game Digital agrees £100m financing facility with shareholder Duodi’s “associate” Lajedosa April 21, 2016 Struggling computer games retailer Game Digital has agreed a new financing facility to give it breathing room while the business gets back on track. The group has agreed an asset-backed revolving loan facility of up to £100m with Lajedosa Investments, which is described as "an entity associated with Duodi Investments" – the major shareholder of Game, which is [...]
Centrica buys Danish group Neas for £170m April 21, 2016 British Gas parent company Centrica has struck a deal to buy Danish group Neas Energy for DKK1.6bn (£170m) . The deal will give Centrica the opportunity to "expand its route to market services in Europe, and to continue to utilise and build its knowledge of European energy markets in order to benefit from trading and optimisation activity", the energy giant said [...]