Royal Mail appoints second chairman in just six months after tumultuous year March 22, 2019 Royal Mail has appointed new chairman for the second time in just six months as his deputy steps into the role. British Airways veteran Keith Williams – who worked as chief executive, head of finance and executive chairman at the carrier – will take on the job from 22 May, the company announced. Read more: [...]
New ‘halfway house’ pension scheme given the go-ahead in bid to reduce risk for savers March 18, 2019 Pensions secretary Amber Rudd has given the green light for a new, Dutch-style pensions scheme to enter the market, which bids to give savers more stability by pooling risk. The so-called Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) scheme, which is widespread in Denmark and the Netherlands, will be offered to Royal Mail workers first, before a planned [...]
Half a million packets returned since launch of Walkers recycling scheme March 18, 2019 Walkers revealed today that more than half a million packets of crisps have been collected since it launched a recycling scheme in the wake of mounting public pressure late last year. Over 8,500 collection points for recycling Walkers crisp packets have been established since December, when the group began a new green initiative. The firm’s [...]
Countrywide shares tumble as it confirms heavy losses amid housing market slowdown March 7, 2019 Shares in estate agency Countrywide dropped more than eleven per cent today after it confirmed a widening of its full-year losses and warned of a tough year ahead. The figures Full-year revenue fell seven per cent to £627.1m, driven by a pipeline deficit in sales. The firm’s losses widened from £207.3m to £218.2m. Adjusted earnings before [...]
Thinking about taking on an apprentice? National Apprenticeship Week is a good time to start March 5, 2019 One of the great things about my job as a minister is hearing from employers about the positive impact that apprentices have had on their businesses. Employers often talk about the energy and enthusiasm that apprentices bring to the workplace. And they are not just talking about young people either, but apprentices of all ages [...]
Royal Mail apologises for breaching stamp price cap after announcing increases February 23, 2019 Royal Mail has apologised after announcing that first and second-class stamp prices are set to increase above the price cap in place to make the postal service affordable. The price of a first-class stamp will increase by 3p to 70p, while a second-class stamp will rise to 61p from 25 March. It means that the [...]
Royal Mail narrows profit guidance as Brits set to send fewer letters than expected next year January 29, 2019 Shares dropped by around 13 per cent as Royal Mail slashed the upper range of its profit guidance this morning after a 2018 the company would rather forget. But there are further clouds on the horizon as the number of letters sent through the service is set to fall by more than previously forecast next [...]
Mark Kleinman’s big predictions for the Square Mile in 2019 January 11, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP exit, Unilever’s HQ U-turn, Melrose’s swoop for GKN: 2018 was a year full of surprises in the City. And while forecasting might be a fool’s errand, here are 10 predictions for the year ahead. •Theresa May will decisively lose next week’s “meaningful vote” on Brexit: that’s not a punt that will [...]
Royal Mail apologises after D-Day landing commemorative stamp Twitter gaffe December 28, 2018 Royal Mail has been forced to apologies today after it emerged a stamp design it planned to issue to commemorate the D-Day landings in France actually showed US troops going ashore several weeks earlier thousands of miles away. The stamp was part of a series marking the 75th anniversary of the June 1944 landings, the [...]
Plenty for Just Eat to chew on as it falls out of FTSE 100 to be replaced by engineering firm Spirax-Sarco December 6, 2018 Just Eat shares were down five per cent this morning as the company took stock from being demoted from the FTSE 100 yesterday. The food delivery company, which has come under siege in recent years from competitors Deliveroo and Uber Eats, dropped out of the top tier index as FTSE Russell announced the winners and [...]