Local councils to bid for share of £675m funding boost to Britain’s high streets December 26, 2018 Local councils are being urged to bid for a share of a £675m fund in a bid to give Britain’s hard-pressed high streets a shot in the arm. The so-called Future High Streets fund, announced in Philip Hammond’s October budget, opened on Boxing Day, and is aimed at helping councils improve transport and access to [...]
High street hopes for Boxing Day boost as spending expected to hit £4.75bn December 26, 2018 High street retailers will have their fingers crossed for a festive boost as shoppers take to the streets for the Boxing Day sales, while online sales are expected to rise 20 per cent year-on-year. British consumers are set to spend £4.75bn today, with £3.71bn of that expected to come from physical sales, according to research [...]
Japan confirms it will quit international agreement to resume commercial whaling December 26, 2018 Japan has sparked international criticism by announcing it will resume commercial whaling in July, after decades of trying to persuade governing body the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to allow it to do so. The government – which usually stresses multilateralism in diplomacy – said on Tuesday it would pull out of the commission so it could restart [...]
Altria gets Juul for Yule as Marlboro maker bets big on vaping December 20, 2018 The maker of Marlboro cigarettes is bringing in yuletide with a $12.8bn (£10.1bn) deal for vape startup Juul. But the early Christmas present is more than a stocking filler Altria as it tries to tap into a rapidly growing market for e-cigarettes. The company’s 35 per cent stake is a major vote of confidence in [...]
Boots blames ‘weak’ retail conditions for fall in UK sales December 20, 2018 Boots has recorded a fall in sales in the first quarter as it becomes the latest UK retailer to be hit by tough high street conditions. The pharmacy and health chain's US owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, said comparable pharmacy and retail sales fell 3.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. It said the company’s [...]
Boxing Day footfall set to tumble as Christmas spending levels off December 20, 2018 Footfall is set to plummet on Boxing Day as Christmas trading takes a hit from low consumer confidence and the rise of Black Friday sales. Boxing Day footfall will decline 5.2 per cent year, its largest drop in recent years, according to forecasts from retail data firm Springboard. Footfall on Boxing Day has declined in [...]
Black Friday promotions drive unexpected retail boost in November December 20, 2018 Retail sales enjoyed stronger-than-expected growth in November as shoppers cashed in on Black Friday promotions. Sales over the month increased by 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, far higher than the 0.3 per cent forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. But over the three months to November sales rose by [...]
British yachtmakers feel the wind in their sales December 19, 2018 British shipyards are catching the breeze as global yacht building returns to pre-crisis levels, and are set to build around an eighth of all luxury boats next year. Having taken on 109 new projects in 2019, up from 52 this year, UK shipbuilders leapfrogged from fifth to third place in global rankings, beaten only by their [...]
888 goes all in for strong full-year results after US expansion December 19, 2018 Online gambling firm 888 today said it remains confident its full-year earnings are on track as it looks to move into the US market. In a pre-close trading update the company said it had delivered positive trading in the second half of the year due to an ongoing focus on product enhancement. Shares in 888 were [...]
Brands must learn to use social video to reach Generation Z December 19, 2018 UK retail giant John Lewis claims that its Christmas television adverts are among “the most effective marketing campaigns in the industry”. Perhaps this was the case once, but faced with impressing video obsessed Generation Z (those born since 1995), does it still hold true now? It appears that I am not the only one with [...]