63 chances to join mile-high club in style September 10, 2014 YOU WOULD have thought it was an exclusive club with strictly limited chances to join, but, in fact, Britain is awash with private jets for sale. One-in-six UK jet owners are bored with their lives of luxury and are selling up. There are 63 on the market in Britain right now, according aviation management and charter firm [...]
Abercrumpet & Fudge: Fatties upstage models September 10, 2014 ABERCROMBIE and Fitch is known for its snooty attitude towards anyone it deems unattractive, but the porkers fought back yesterday. The upmarket Burlington Gardens store hired some hunks to pose topless outside, but the show was crashed by a pair of more portly gents showing off in heroic poses. Quite a sight in the chilly [...]
Sports Direct on a roll despite England failure September 10, 2014 SPORTS retailer Sports Direct yesterday reported rising sales and profit for the last three months, despite a soft patch during England’s poor World Cup run. The company, founded by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said group sales rose 12.2 per cent for the 13 week period ending 27 July, to £711.2m, while gross profit increased [...]
Inside Track: City contingency planning for Yes vote long overdue September 10, 2014 YESTERDAY’S desperate round of campaigning in Scotland by the main Westminster party leaders might have offered a boost – but not to those they wanted to vote No to independence. In the City, the reality check of a Yes vote being a genuine prospect is triggering contingency planning that should have been underway months ago. [...]
Greene King sees a slow start to the year as World Cup hits sales September 10, 2014 British pub and breweries group Greene King announced yesterday that it expected sales in its core managed division to improve over the remainder of the year, after a disappointing 0.4 per cent growth in the first quarter due to the impact of England’s disappointing World Cup performance. The group also said that despite the UK’s [...]
Dollar Gen goes hostile in $9.1bn bid for Family September 10, 2014 US DISCOUNTER Dollar General yesterday went hostile in its $9.1bn (£5.64bn) bid for rival Family Dollar, making a direct approach to its shareholders after twice being shunned. The move could jeopardise Family Dollar’s agreement to sell itself to fellow discounter Dollar Tree for a lower cash-and-stock deal of $8.5bn, or $74.50 per share. Dollar General [...]
Thorntons sees profits rise 60pc September 10, 2014 Cost cutting at chocolate maker Thorntons helped it report a 60 per cent rise in annual pre-tax profit. Pre-tax profits for the year to 28 June rose to £7.5m, compared with £4.7m last year. The firm has undergone a three-year cost-cutting programme, closing 39 stores last year. It said that sales at stores which had [...]
Sweet teeth help Krispy Kreme post 22pc rise in quarterly profits September 10, 2014 DOUGHNUT retailer Krispy Kreme yesterday reported that its quarterly earnings rose 22 per cent as it posted stronger revenue, driven by sales at locations open more than 18 months. For the period ending 3 August, Krispy Kreme reported a profit of $5.8m (£3.6m), up from $4.7m a year earlier. Chief executive Tony Thompson said: “A key [...]
Housing market goes in reverse over August September 10, 2014 A fall in both house sales and mortgage approvals in August has backed growing evidence that the booming property market is at last slowing. A Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey showed the number of agreed house sales in August fell for the first time since September 2012, and new buyer enquiries fell for [...]
Skanska wins £600m Battersea Power Station building contract September 10, 2014 Skanska has been chosen as preferred bidder to redevelop the Battersea Power Station building, it emerged yesterday, in a major coup for the Swedish construction firm. The company is understood to have beaten Balfour Beatty, Lend Lease and Mace to win the estimated £600m job. A formal announcement is expected to be made within the [...]