Norges moves up on rival Sammy Tak Lee after upping its stake in Shaftesbury Group November 22, 2018 Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) has upped its holding in West End landlord Shaftesbury for the second time in a fortnight, escalating a power tussle between the sovereign wealth fund and rival shareholder Sammy Tak Lee. The Norwegian fund increased its holding in the FTSE 250 group from 22 per cent to 23.15 per cent [...]
Jaguar Land Rover and Addison Lee receive £25m to trial their self-driving cars in Greenwich November 22, 2018 Jaguar Land Rover and Addison Lee are among the winners of a government-backed £25m funding pot to develop driverless cars in London by 2021, it was revealed today. A consortium of tech, vehicle and transport firms have secured a grant from the government's Connected and Autonomous Vehicles programme to introduce 15 self-driving vehicles as part of [...]
Ashley hits out at politicians and landlords ahead of committee hearing November 22, 2018 Mike Ashley today lashed out at politicians for failing Britain’s beleaguered high streets, as he demanded an audience with MPs in Westminster next month. The retail billionaire and Newcastle United owner, who has recently acquired House of Fraser and Evans Cycles, called on both politicians and landlords to do more to help struggling retail outlets. [...]
Vivienne Westwood sales up as luxury brands resist retail troubles November 22, 2018 Luxury fashion label Vivienne Westwood saw a rise in sales last year as high-end designers defy tough conditions for UK retailers. The designer brand’s turnover was £40.8m in 2017, up from £37.5m the year before, though profit remained flat at £1.9m. The company said 2017 was a “challenging year”, with retail conditions putting pressure on [...]
MPs and businesses urged to boycott Google and Facebook over alleged failure to tackle UK terror November 22, 2018 Tech firms such as Google and Facebook have come under fire from the UK's parliamentary security committee, as a report published today urged businesses to boycott the social media platforms until they do more to tackle extremism. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said continuous appeals to social media firms to stop their systems from being [...]
Southeastern investigates claims ‘unauthorised’ person drove high speed Javelin train out of St Pancras November 22, 2018 Southeastern is investigating five drivers after claims that a high-speed Javelin train was driven out of St Pancras International by an “unauthorised” person. The train, which is capable of speeds up to 140mph, was leaving the station for Portsmouth on a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. The Govia-owned rail operator confirmed it has launched [...]
Noel Edmonds launches legal case against Lloyds Banking Group as he enters the I’m A Celebrity jungle November 22, 2018 Former Crinkley Bottom resident and Deal or No Deal supremo Noel Edmonds is set to take his fight with Lloyds Bank into the Australian jungle. Edmonds is set to use his I’m A Celebrity TV platform to blast the bank, which he blames for the failure of his business. His lawyer, Jonathan Coad of Keystone [...]
FTSE 100 retailers boosted by Brexit breakthrough, but stronger sterling hurts blue chip index November 22, 2018 Retailers and housebuilders were leading the way in the FTSE 100 this afternoon following the news that the UK and EU have agreed a draft text on their future relationship after Brexit. Online delivery service Just Eat saw its share price increase by nearly four per cent, while online gambling firm GVC Holdings, Berkeley Homes, Burberry [...]
Model train maker Hornby narrows losses as it plans to get back on track November 22, 2018 Model railway maker Hornby today said it will end discounting as it reported a reduction in losses in the six months to the end of September, sending shares up more than five per cent. The figures Hornby’s revenue was down to £13.8m from £17m in the same period last year. Group loss before tax was £3.2m, [...]
Crowdfunding isn’t just about money, but communicating with customers – the best businesses are the best listeners November 22, 2018 Consumers are increasingly sceptical of industry leaders, disloyal to brands, well-researched in the products and services they need, and not willing to be talked at. Through social media, they listen to one another about which brands are worth caring about, and which are not. The brands that are the best communicators are also the best [...]