Most people are enjoying this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. A few aren’t November 10, 2016 The John Lewis Christmas advert has landed. And, predictably, the majority of Twitter luvvies are loving it – despite serious plot holes exposed by City A.M. Launching a day after Donald Trump won the race to the White House, the retailer’s customer director Craig Inglis said: “2016 has certainly been quite a year, so we [...]
Watch this year’s full John Lewis Christmas advert, featuring Vaults and Buster the Boxer November 10, 2016 Advent calendars may have been out since Easter and shops may have been putting baubles on display since September – but you know it's really Christmas when the John Lewis Christmas advert arrives. This year's offering takes a funny, rather than schmaltzy, approach (cf. last year's sugary sweet Man on the Moon ad) – featuring a [...]
Heartwarming and full of plot holes: Our review of John Lewis’ 2016 Christmas advert, Buster the Boxer November 10, 2016 This year’s John Lewis Christmas advert, Buster the Boxer, has everything we have come to expect of the now hotly-anticipated generator of the festive feeling. It’s heartwarming, it’s full of plot holes and it makes you want to visit to retailer’s flagship store on Oxford Street. On the heartwarming front, it begins with a little girl, Bridget, who [...]
Savile Row, Harley Street, Mayfair, St James’ and Portland Place safeguarded by new Westminster council policy November 10, 2016 Five renowned areas of the capital have been safeguarded by a new policy introduced by Westminster council. The policy will allow it to reject planning proposals that threaten the character of the city's well-known areas. The Special Policy Areas come into force today to protect Savile Row, Mayfair, Harley Street, St James's and Portland Place. The policy regulations won't dictate [...]
Sandwichgate: The chair of the Business Select Committee has written to Mike Ashley and he’s not happy November 9, 2016 The chair of the Business Select Committee that paid Sports Direct a memorable visit earlier in the week, has written to Mike Ashley. And boy, he's not happy. "For an organisation in the process of reviewing its corporate governance and working practices, it is difficult to understand how a representative of the company thought that [...]
Sainsbury’s like-for-like sales fell for its first half, but statutory profit is up November 9, 2016 Sainsbury's like-for-like sales excluding fuel fell by one per cent in the its first half as the supermarket faces an uphill struggle to entice customers through its doors. The company eked out more profit however. Sainsbury's share fell at the open, ditching almost five per cent after it warned second half underlying profit is expected [...]
Burberry profits fall 24 per cent despite Brexit boost November 9, 2016 Burberry reported plummeting profits in the first half of the year – but added that the fall in sterling had pushed up comparable sales by 30 per cent in the UK. Silver linings? The figures Underlying pre-tax profits fell 24 per cent to £146m in the six months to the end of September, as revenues fell to [...]
SeaWorld share price leaps on cost-cutting plans as attendance continues to sink November 8, 2016 SeaWorld – the US leisure park at the centre of an animal rights storm – has announced a new cost-cutting initiative in the middle of its change in strategy. Shares in the company leapt at the open after sinking in the pre-market on the back of its third quarter results. Attendance fell 0.4 per cent to [...]
You can’t come in to our US stores today, says Patagonia, now go out and vote November 8, 2016 A sustainable outdoor clothing retailer today shut the doors of its US outlets, telling customers to prioritise voting over shopping. Patagonia, a company that has banged the drum of environmental causes since it started in 1973, said that it was imperative that Americans got down the polls to vote in the US Presidential election. Voting was [...]
Hertz slams on the brakes: earnings to be a fraction of previous guidance November 8, 2016 Shares in car rental giant Hertz were in freefall today, plummeting as much as 50 per cent after it slashed full year forecasts. The US company said it expected forecast adjusted profit of between $0.51 and $0.88 per share, a fraction of its guidance earlier in the year of between $2.75 and $3.50 per share. Read more: [...]