Voyageurs du Monde eyes English-speaking market with 60 per cent stake in UK travel company Original Travel January 9, 2017 One of France's largest travel firms, Voyageurs du Monde, has said it will acquire 60 per cent of UK-based luxury tour operator Original Travel in an effort to further expand into English-speaking markets. The Euronext Paris-listed company has a 40 per cent share of the French market, but it's now eyeing up expansion in the UK, US, Canada, Singapore, [...]
VW owners are taking their emissions scandal claims to the High Court January 9, 2017 A law firm has applied for a group litigation order against Volkswagen on behalf of thousands of owners of cars manufactured by the company. Harcus Sinclair said it was planning to bring claims in the High Court on behalf of owners of VW, Seat, Audi and Skoda vehicles. While the company has been hit with [...]
Ireland hard border with UK could be inevitable after “pig in a poke” Brexit says top Irish diplomat January 9, 2017 A hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland could be inevitable if the UK leaves the EU’s Single Market, according to an influential Irish diplomat – while saying Leave voters in the EU referendum were “sold a pig in a poke”. Speaking in an interview with the Irish Independent newspaper, Phil Hogan, the EU commissioner [...]
Aldi bags record Christmas sales after a year of store openings January 9, 2017 Aldi boosted its Christmas sales in 2016 after a bumper year of store openings. The discount supermarket opened seventy new stores throughout the year, leading it to 15 per cent year-on-year sales growth in December – its highest growth since landing in the UK in 1990. Aldi did not disclose its like-for-like sales growth for the [...]
McDonald’s works to cut costs by selling a majority stake in its China and Hong Kong businesses January 9, 2017 McDonald's is set to sell 80 per cent of its China and Hong Kong businesses for up to $2.1bn (£1.7bn) in an effort to franchise more of its global restaurants. The deal with Chinese conglomerate Citic and US asset manager Carlyle will help McDonald's cut operating costs in its Asian businesses. Originally, the fast-food giant planned to raise up [...]
London Tube strike January 2017: Clapham Junction station evacuated due to overcrowding January 9, 2017 Clapham Junction station has been evacuated this morning due to overcrowding related to today's Tube strike. Southern Rail and SouthWest Trains services are not calling at the station, ⚠ #ClaphamJunction station has been evacuated due to overcrowding. Services are currently not calling — Southern (@SouthernRailUK) January 9, 2017 #ClaphamJunction There are currently NO trains stopping [...]
UK house prices grew 6.5 per cent in December January 9, 2017 UK house prices grew 6.5 per cent year-on-year in December, Halifax said this morning, as it warned that housing demand is expected to drop in 2017. The UK average house price reached £222,484 in the final month of the year, up 1.7 per cent on November's average – the biggest month-on-month growth since March 2016, when [...]
Tube strike travel chaos: Great Northern services aren’t running between Finsbury Park and Moorgate January 9, 2017 Great Northern Rail has warned that no services are running between Finsbury Park and Moorgate station this morning. The news comes as London commuters deal with transport chaos brought on by the latest round of Tube strikes. Problems on the line into Moorgate began last night, due to the Tube workers' industrial action, and are continuing [...]
It’s official: The UK government is no longer the largest shareholder in Lloyds Bank January 9, 2017 The government is no longer the largest investor in Lloyds Bank, after it reduced its stake to below six per cent for the first time since it was bailed out in the financial crisis. The stake now comprises 5.95 per cent of the FTSE 100 bank. The sale means that over £18bn of taxpayer money [...]
William Hill says trading was hit by poor football and horseracing results in December January 9, 2017 William Hill said today that trading was hit in the final month of last year due to unfavourable football and horseracing results, meaning the group's profit for 2016 was around £20m lower than expectations. Shares in the firm were down 3.5 per cent by mid-morning following the announcement. The bookmaker reported an operating profit of £260m, [...]