The risks and opportunities of doing business with China December 11, 2018 Few doubt the enormous opportunity that exists in doing business with China, particularly as the country’s external business and foreign policy, namely the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), continues to drive economic development around the globe. However, this opportunity also brings with it very real challenges. And whether an opportunity blossoms into a round of [...]
Competition watchdog launches probe into Ebay’s acquisition of Motors.co.uk December 11, 2018 Ebay's proposed acquisition of car search business Motors.co.uk is to undergo an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), it was announced this morning. The CMA said it is considering whether the move, which would see Ebay merge Motors.co.uk with its other consumer-facing business Gumtree Motors, may result in a "substantial lessening" of competition [...]
Nearly 300,000 homes could be built in Greater London above rail tracks, says new research December 11, 2018 Untapped space above London’s railways tracks could pave the way for as many as 280,000 new homes, according to new data that comes amid growing calls to tackle the capital’s housing shortage woes. Almost 2,500 hectares of land on top of Greater London’s train, overground and Tube lines could be freed up, a report by [...]
Shearwater spending spree overshadows revenue boost December 11, 2018 Cyber security firm Shearwater reported deeper losses in its interim results today, despite a huge increase in revenues as it expands in new regions. The figures Shearwater’s underlying loss fell to £1.6m, down from £100,000 in 2017. Revenue soared 118 per cent to £4.5m in the six months to the end of September. Loss per [...]
London’s shared workspace market is helping women to become business leaders December 11, 2018 London's flexible office market is growing. The last 18 months have seen a huge influx of startups and scaleups moving into these spaces, which cater to people who want more than just a part-time desk in order to be productive. To learn more about the appeal of shared workspaces, we commissioned an Economic Impact Report [...]
Old age consumers think advertising is ageist – the industry needs to represent the elderly better December 11, 2018 Marketing has an age problem. At least, that’s what older consumers themselves think, according to findings released in October by the popular Gransnet and Mumsnet forums. The research claims that 78 per cent of forum users aged over 50 felt that their age group was underrepresented or misrepresented in advertising. The industry should pay attention. [...]
Coca-Cola’s advertisement history is like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly December 11, 2018 Coca-Cola's advertising resonates with millions across the world. It is renowned for being effective, entertaining and instantly recognisable, but the “Because I Can” campaign released in January proved to be a disappointment. This raised the question: what’s happened to its ad strategy? It’s time to delve into the good, the bad, and the ugly of [...]
Crossrail crisis: Businesses react to £1.4bn bailout and further delay December 11, 2018 The crisis facing Crossrail deepened yesterday as Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that the delayed project could need up to £2bn in extra funding to keep afloat. Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild also admitted that the railway, which had already been delayed from December 2018 to autumn 2019, may not open until 2020. While the [...]
‘No room for renegotiation’: EU slaps down UK hopes for a new Brexit deal as May attempts to woo European leaders December 11, 2018 The EU will not renegotiate Theresa May’s Brexit deal after the Prime Minister was forced into a humiliating parliamentary climbdown yesterday, Jean-Claude Juncker said this morning. The European Commission president said: “I remain convinced that the Brexit deal we have is the best – and only – deal possible. There is no room for renegotiation, but further [...]
Wage growth reaches decade-high as UK jobs rate soars to record levels December 11, 2018 UK wages are now growing faster than any time since around the end of 2016, as workers received their biggest pay rise in a decade in the three months to October. Data published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed average weekly earnings rose an annual 3.3 per cent in the three months to October, [...]