Fears over business rates mount as Britain’s major retailers prepare to form action group January 13, 2019 Some of Britain’s biggest retailers are coming together in an urgent bid to seek business rates relief from the government, City A.M. has learned. Around 50 major high street names are joining a mass lobbying effort to curb forthcoming rises in their property tax, as profits plunge in the face of falling sales and online [...]
Brexit, ad fraud and #MeToo – what does the future year hold for the marketing industry? January 7, 2019 We are out of the cold December of 2018, and have now entered the, well, even colder January of 2019. Last year was a momentous one for the marketing industry – there was the fall and rise again of adland stalwart Martin Sorrell; the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) finally came into force; [...]
Honesty: Coming to an office near you January 7, 2019 Last year, after reading Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life, I wrote a column about lying. While Peterson’s book argued that one should always tell the truth, I countered that, in a work environment, such philosophy was unrealistic. Honesty can get you fired. I would know. “What did you think about my speech?” my boss [...]
Domino’s Pizza denies shareholder complaints over board shake up plans January 6, 2019 Domino’s Pizza has denied rumours of shareholder unrest over changes to the company's board positions. The pizza giant has not been contacted by shareholders demanding changes to its board, City A.M. understands, despite reports a group had told chairman Stephen Hemsley to hire a new heavyweight senior independent director. A group of top 20 shareholders were [...]
FTSE 100: These are the biggest winners and losers of 2018 January 2, 2019 THE UK market felt the impact of Brexit last year as politicians scrambled to reach a deal on Britain’s fast approaching departure from the European Union. With a vote on Theresa May’s heavily criticised deal not expected until mid-January, and as the government pumps billions into planning for a no-deal Brexit scenario, it seems unlikely [...]
DEBATE: With student debt now blowing a hole in the government’s budget, should tuition fees be cut? December 20, 2018 With student debt now blowing a hole in the government’s budget, should tuition fees be cut? Iain Mansfield, a former senior civil servant, says YES. This week’s decision to reclassify student loans has exposed the myth that tuition fees were the only way of making mass higher education affordable – they were never affordable, just off [...]
Sports Direct takes profit hit from ‘challenging’ House of Fraser acquisition December 13, 2018 Sports Direct has posted a 27 per cent drop in half-year profits today, as costs from the acquisition of beleaguered department store chain House of Fraser weighed on the group’s balance books. Shares in Sports Direct slumped 12.7 per cent this afternoon, with the retailer rushing out an urgent clarification this afternoon after Mike Ashley said [...]
Value of retail property falls to slowest rate in nine years as vacancies and losses take their toll on landlords December 11, 2018 Fresh evidence of the woes facing high street landlords and shopping centre owners emerged today, as new data showed that the value of retail property has fallen by its largest monthly amount in nearly a decade. The value of retail property tumbled 1.9 per cent in November, marking the sector’s sharpest month-on-month drop since May [...]
London’s shared workspace market is helping women to become business leaders December 11, 2018 London's flexible office market is growing. The last 18 months have seen a huge influx of startups and scaleups moving into these spaces, which cater to people who want more than just a part-time desk in order to be productive. To learn more about the appeal of shared workspaces, we commissioned an Economic Impact Report [...]
Barber boom bucks high street struggles as demand for male hair grooming jumps November 18, 2018 A boom in barber shops is helping to revive the stricken high street, fuelled by the growing demand for hipster beards. Male hair grooming is now one of the fastest-growing retail sectors, as young men – especially workers in the City – care more than ever about the state of their face fuzz. The rise in [...]