How a relationship break-up spurred this founder to build ‘Ebay for travel’ to help flog unwanted holidays May 20, 2019 When you think of unwanted items, holidays don’t tend to spring to mind. But according to Simon Powell, founder of TransferTravel, billions of dollars are wasted globally on unwanted travel every year, while an estimated 220,000 hotel rooms are paid for and never used every day in the US alone, wasting $8.6bn annually. And with [...]
An honest guide to meeting props: here’s what your clicky pen, leather notebook and water bottle are really trying to say May 3, 2019 In the theatre of the commedia dell’arte, the character of Arlecchino can be recognised by two props – his mask and his slapstick. The commedia was built on archetypes, quickly establishing who a character was and how they would behave – and with that recognised, everyone could get on with the story. If someone had [...]
Ebay launches strategic review after activist investor pressure March 1, 2019 Ebay has given into pressure from activist investors Elliott Management and Starboard Value to launch a strategic review of the company. The online auction website will appoint two new board members and review the company’s Stubhub and Ebay Classifieds Group. Read more: Ebay shares spike as activist investor Elliott reveals $1.4bn stake Jesse Cohn of [...]
Ebay’s acquisition of Motors.co.uk gets the green light from UK competition watchdog February 12, 2019 Ebay's acquisition of car search business Motors.co.uk has been given the all-clear by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The deal, first announced in October, last year, will see Ebay merge Motors.co.uk with its other consumer-facing car sales business Gumtree Motors. The CMA said at the time of launching its probe in December that it [...]
Intel names Bob Swan as new boss in the wake of former CEO’s rule-breaking January 31, 2019 Intel has made its interim chief executive Robert 'Bob' Swan its permanent boss, after the role's former occupant resigned last year. Swan, who was previously Intel's chief financial officer, had also served as Ebay's finance boss for the nine years before joining Intel in 2016. His appointment marks a change for Intel, which has traditionally [...]
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism secures £800,000 to fund growth January 25, 2019 The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has secured a new round of fundraising, bucking the trend after a torrid week of job cuts among digital media outlets. The not-for-profit news organisation said it has received £800,000 over two years from global charity Luminate, which was set up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Read more: Buzzfeed and Verizon [...]
Ebay shares spike as Elliott reveals stake and demands Stubhub spin-off January 22, 2019 Activist investor Elliott Management has revealed it has amassed a stake in Ebay worth roughly $1.4bn (£1.1bn), causing the retailer's share price to spike. In an open letter, Elliott urged Ebay to spin off or sell its ticket-sales franchise Stubhub and its classified ads business. It said Ebay could more than double its market value [...]
HMRC claims its online tax evasion crackdown has clawed back £200m January 11, 2019 The government claims to have recovered more than £200m of lost VAT from overseas sellers since gaining new powers, saying its crackdown on online tax evasion is paying off. HMRC has issued over 4,600 ‘red flag’ notices to online marketplaces such as Amazon and Ebay since 2016. The flags, called Joint and Several Liability (JSL) [...]
Why cryptocurrencies are here to stay December 21, 2018 If common perception is to be believed, we’re currently watching the death of cryptocurrencies. Without doubt, there is cause for some concern. This year has been terrible for speculators, with a deeply entrenched bear market taking hold, and the price of bitcoin falling by around 80 per cent. The year also hasn’t resulted in the envisaged uptake [...]
Competition watchdog launches probe into Ebay’s acquisition of Motors.co.uk December 11, 2018 Ebay's proposed acquisition of car search business Motors.co.uk is to undergo an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), it was announced this morning. The CMA said it is considering whether the move, which would see Ebay merge Motors.co.uk with its other consumer-facing business Gumtree Motors, may result in a "substantial lessening" of competition [...]