House of Fraser suffers 60 per cent sales drop in run-up to Christmas January 21, 2019 House of Fraser has reportedly suffered a dive in sales over the crucial Christmas trading season, in a fresh sign of the woes facing the beleaguered department store chain. Year-on-year sales plunged 60 per cent in the 12 weeks to 18 December, according to Kantar Worldpanel figures reported in The Sunday Telegraph. It is the [...]
Leavers begin to sense it could be May’s Brexit or no Brexit at all January 21, 2019 The pre-decimal penny seems to have finally dropped for arch-Brexiteer and 'member for the 19th century' Jacob Rees-Mogg, who declared over the weekend that “Mrs May's deal would be better than not leaving at all.” While he insisted that he would still prefer a no-deal exit to the withdrawal deal negotiated by the Prime Minister, [...]
London commuters spend £153 a week shopping – here’s what they spend it on January 21, 2019 Commuter spending sprees contribute £22.8bn to the UK economy every year, with London commuters splashing out almost twice the national average, according to new data. Commuters in the capital fork out on average £153 a week while on the move, nearly double the UK average of £89, research by the Centre for Business and Economics [...]
Augmentum Fintech backs London will-writing startup Farewill in £7.5m round January 21, 2019 London-listed venture fund Augmentum Fintech has today announced a £4m injection into probate startup Farewill, leading the firm's £7.5m series A fundraise alongside the venture arms of the Daily Mail and M&C Saatchi. Other investors in the round included Transferwise chief executive Taavet Hinrikus, Innocent Smoothies parent firm Jamjar, Kindred Capital, Tiny VC and Venture Founders. Farewill claims [...]
Public trust in Putin falls to new low as disposable income falls, new figures show January 21, 2019 Public trust in President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level in 13 years as Russians contend with new taxes and a sluggish economy. Confidence in Putin fell to 33.4 per cent last week, down more than 30 percentage points since its high in 2015 after the annexation of Crimea, according to state-owned polling [...]
UK households downbeat over finances despite slowing growth in living costs January 21, 2019 Living costs have risen at the slowest rate in three years this month, however UK households remained downbeat due to concerns over job security, lower cash availability and pessimism over the UK housing market. The Household Finance Index, which measures household's perceptions of financial wellbeing, increased in January to a three-month high of 44.8 but [...]
No Boris, springing aimless policy promises on the public is not the way to make change January 21, 2019 The tax burden in the UK is at a 50-year high, accounting for over 34.5 per cent of GDP. Nevertheless, MPs from across the political spectrum like to propose new and higher taxes – the implementation of which increase the burden on families, who are already struggling from Britain’s cost of living crisis and lackluster [...]
Debate: As we endure Blue Monday, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? January 21, 2019 As we endure Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? Yes- Mike Foster is creative director of brand design agency Straight Forward. Keeping employees happy makes good business sense apart from anything else. Smart employers want their team members to feel fulfilled, connected [...]
The European Court of Justice must answer two key questions on the right to be forgotten January 21, 2019 A search on someone’s name in Google reveals a great deal about them. This might include where they work or went to school, as well as more private information such as their religion, sex life, or criminal convictions. In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that individuals can protect their privacy by delisting [...]
Full speed ahead for motor insurers on the legal road to self-driving cars January 21, 2019 In the last twelve months alone, the government has spoken loudly about the direction in which it wants advances in self-driving cars to go. And yet, though these developments are certainly innovative, and exciting, speed bumps remain – especially for the motor insurance industry – on the road to autonomous vehicles becoming an everyday reality. [...]