Women must have a crucial role in saving the high street – a retailer’s survival may depend on it June 7, 2016 Retailers will breathe a sigh of relief today as the joint British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG sales monitor for May shows a modest recovery on the high street. But the respite may be brief as customers remain cautious with their spending. The sector is facing many challenges. Too many retailers are disconnected from their [...]
Are Sadiq Khan’s planning reforms viable? June 6, 2016 After just two weeks in office as the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan revealed his plans to deal with the capital’s housing crisis and said the previous mayor had “left the cupboard bare” when it comes to delivering affordable housing. Khan says he will be working with the government to actively identify surplus public [...]
Revolts are not just for shareholders: Why the public should demand more from UK Plc June 6, 2016 From BP chief executive Bob Dudley’s bloody nose over his £14m pay deal to Weir Group’s remuneration committee being forced back to the drawing board to rethink their executive payment policies, investors have made it clear this AGM season that they’re no longer prepared to put up with outlandish boardroom pay. More spirited revolts could [...]
Whole Foods teams up with startup Quiqup to deliver groceries on demand across London June 3, 2016 US import Whole Foods Market has entered the online grocery game – and stepped it up a notch, promising to start delivering to Londoners within a two-hour timeframe. The upmarket grocer has partnered with startup delivery firm Quiqup to provide an online shopping service from its Kensington, Piccadilly, Fulham, Clapham Junction and Camden stores. The Stoke Newington and [...]
First date flutters come at a hefty cost for Londoners June 3, 2016 If you were planning on going on a hot first date this weekend, you might want to count your pennies first. New research has revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that London is the most expensive city in the UK to go on a first date. While prospective lovers in Bristol will spend £43 on the crucial first [...]
A new low-cost airline hopes to raise £5m through crowdfunding to offer cheap flights from the UK to India June 2, 2016 A soon to be launched airline hopes to raise £5m through a crowdfunding campaign to run flights between the UK and two Indian cities Amritsar and Ahmedabad. Called POP, which stands for "People Over Profit", the airline claims it will give back a minimum of 51% of its profits to charitable causes in both India and the UK. [...]
The reason your taxi driver won’t go south of the river for three months (not across Tower Bridge anyway) June 2, 2016 If your travels around London regularly take you across the Thames, you'll have one less travel option come October, as Tower Bridge closes for three months. Tower Bridge Road will be shut to vehicles from 1 October while repair and maintenance work is carried out, the City of London Corporation announced today. "This decision to close Tower [...]
Channel 4 takes stake in multimedia firm behind Bear Grylls’ YouTube channel June 2, 2016 In a bid to ramp up its digital prowess, Channel 4 has taken a stake in multimedia content company Barcroft Media Holdings. The deal was Channel 4's first investment as part of its Commercial Growth Fund which was launched last year to help "high growth potential companies to build their business through advertising on Channel 4 marketing platforms". Barcroft Holdings' [...]
2016 set to be year of retail failures as number of shoppers on Britain’s high streets in “terminal decline” June 1, 2016 The number of consumers on Britain’s high streets is in “terminal decline” as shopping habits change fundamentally, raising the prospect of more retail failures this year. Speaking to City A.M. after the demise of suits-specialist Austin Reed was confirmed yesterday, Diane Wehrle from top retail analyst Springboard said: “We’re no longer going to see increases in footfall [...]
Austin Reed employees could have their pensions bailed out May 31, 2016 Embattled retailer Austin Reed's final pension scheme could be bailed out by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The news comes as all 120 Austin Reed stores are set to close by the end of June leading to 1,000 job losses after administrators AlixPartners did not receive any viable offers for the 116-year-old menswear retailer. According to ITV, 300 members will receive reduced [...]