Homebase named the UK’s worst retail website in rescue deal aftermath November 13, 2018 DIY retailer Homebase has been named the UK's worst online shopping website, alongside a plethora of other familiar names in a survey conducted by independent consumer body Which?. Homebase received a rating of 55 per cent as part of a survey with over 10,000 consumers evaluating their experiences online. Customers said they found the site [...]
Trust me, we’ve been thinking about market power and competition all wrong November 13, 2018 Economists, politicians, and commentators on both sides of the Atlantic are growing more concerned with the supposed “monopolisation” of the economy. In a 2017 report, the Social Market Foundation found that eight of 10 key British markets, including in phones, gas and groceries, were highly dominated by small numbers of companies. Its director, James Kirkup, [...]
Iceland’s Christmas advert was cute, but it still broke broadcasting rules around politics November 13, 2018 LAST week, supermarket chain Iceland made headlines with its latest Christmas advert. The cartoon features an orangutan trashing a child’s bedroom, before taking a dark twist to show the ape’s rainforest home being destroyed for palm oil – a controversial ingredient that appears in practically every consumer item, from biscuits to beauty products. It’s an [...]
NKB Group provides a summary from inside the industry November 13, 2018 As ever, we start with Trading highlights. Bitcoin continues to fluctuate in a range of $200-300, holding steady at the 2018 lows that we have been courting for the past three months. A special level that is holding just above most crypto miners’ break-even points. Despite the raft of positive news, BTC failed its November [...]
New chief takes the wheel at bus provider First Group as losses increase November 13, 2018 Rail and bus provider First Group has named Matthew Gregory as its new chief executive, as losses before tax increased to £4.6m. The former finance chief and interim chief operating officer steps into the job six months after boss Tim O’Toole left the company when it posted a £327m loss for the financial year. Shares grew nine [...]
The US midterms: Good for Democrats, but better for markets November 13, 2018 American politics is in a febrile state. Deep partisan divisions, heightened by Donald Trump’s controversial rhetoric and policies, have resulted in a historic year for midterm voter turn-out. Last Tuesday, voters on the left and right were spurred on by a conviction that the 2018 midterms were more important than any other in history. Politically, [...]
Take note of Ada Lovelace and the gender leadership gap November 13, 2018 Who was Ada Lovelace? She could soon be the face of the Bank of England’s new £50 note. Lovelace – the world’s first computer programmer and collaborator with the celebrated inventor Charles Babbage – is just one of the many women who have historically been under-recognised for their great achievements. The British public is keenly [...]
Snap’s head of content jumps ship despite recent launch of Netflix-style original video November 13, 2018 London entrepreneur Nick Bell has become the latest executive to leave Snap, as the vice president of content resigned only a month after launching the app's Netflix-style original service. Bell informed employees of his departure yesterday, leaving behind just one member of Snap's leadership team from when the company went public last year, outside of its two co-founders. [...]
Wage growth hits 10-year high as 132,000 EU workers quit the UK November 13, 2018 Wages grew at their fastest rate in a decade in the latest quarter as the employment rate also rose higher, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released today. People’s salaries grew by 3.2 per cent excluding bonuses in the three months to the end of September compared to last year, marking the [...]
First time buyer mortgage approvals dropped in September November 13, 2018 The number of new first-time buyer mortgages dropped by 4.5 per cent in September, driven by a slump in consumer demand due to affordability constraints in London and the south east. New home mover mortgages fell by 8.6 per cent compared to last year, with a decline in value of 5.8 per cent year-on-year, according [...]