New service Stuart brings on demand delivery to customers of UK retailers September 15, 2016 A NEW on-demand service that aims to deliver products to customers in less than an hour by using retail outlets as mini-depots is launching in the UK today. Called Stuart, the French-backed business will focus initially on London after raising €22m in pre-launch funding from French postal service GeoPost, among others. It has developed a [...]
How business and politics reacted to the government go-ahead for Hinkley C September 15, 2016 The UK government gave the green light to plans to build the controversial Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset today, but with a few revised conditions which should help allay its security concerns. The widely-watched decision has so far received a mixed reception across business and politics. While supporters applauded the project's ability to create [...]
John Lewis warns on job losses due to its commitment to staff pay September 15, 2016 The John Lewis Partnership warned this morning that it may be losing staff "over time" due to its paying its employees higher than the government-imposed national living wage. The company committed to paying workers "well above" the new national living wage, but said this had landed it with £33m in extra costs. If the department store had [...]
Next posts a fall in profits in “challenging and volatile” trading environment September 15, 2016 Announcing a fall in profits this morning, Next said that trading since its July sale had been "challenging and volatile". The figures Next's pre-tax profit fell 1.5 per cent to £342.1m, down from £347.1m a year earlier. It was weighed down by profit falls at Next Retail and Next Brand which dropped 16.8 per cent and [...]
Government approves Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant but with revised conditions September 15, 2016 The government approved plans to build the controversial £18bn Hinkley Point C project, but with revised conditions. The move, which paves the way for the UK's first new nuclear power plant in a generation, includes measures to ensure French utility giant EDF remains the controlling partner during the construction phase. Whitehall will also be able to intervene in the sale of [...]
Knowingly undersold? John Lewis profits fall 15 per cent – but not because of Brexit September 15, 2016 You know things are bad when the chattering classes stop spending: today John Lewis admitted things had gone downhill in the first half as market conditions worsened. The figures Profit before tax and exceptional items fell 14.7 per cent to £81.9m in the six months to the end of July, despite a 3.1 per cent rise in gross sales, to £5.27bn. Although [...]
Morrisons reports improved sales and increased profits and says Brexit has had no negative effect September 15, 2016 Shares in Morrisons jumped almost five per cent as the market opened, after the supermarket reported an increase in sales during the 26 weeks to 31 July, and said it hasn't seen any ill effects from the Brexit vote. The figures Revenue dipped to £8.03bn from £8.06bn this time last year, however like-for-like sales in the first [...]
The media consumption tipping point has arrived: Millennials lead charge from TVs to smartphones September 15, 2016 This year has witnessed a "tipping" point in media consumption, in which digital has overtaken traditional forms, a new report has found. IPA Touchpoints suggested we are becoming “superhuman information absorbers”, with half of our waking hours now spent consuming media or online information. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) surveyed more than 5,000 [...]
London’s tallest office buildings still command sky-high rents post-Brexit vote September 15, 2016 Fears have been mounting about the future of commercial property after the nation voted to leave the EU, but London's skyscrapers remain some of the most expensive office space in the world. London skyscrapers still command the fourth highest rental value in the world, beaten only by Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo, according to [...]
What a summer: George Osborne’s epic fall from high office September 15, 2016 At the end of July, former Chancellor George Osborne delivered the annual Margaret Thatcher memorial lecture. Her legacy is mighty. What would his be? As he attempted to define it in front of a City audience in the magnificent Guildhall, he concluded that he had “much more to contribute to our nation's discussions in the [...]