Letters to the Editor February 17, 2013 Fiscal failure [RE: High inflation is denting recovery: The Bank of England must act now, Thursday] Andrew Sentance makes some very good points. Quantitative easing (QE) has resulted in inflation. As an importer of wine, buying mainly in euros, weaker sterling affects my prices directly and we have no choice but to pass these on [...]
Morrisons buys 49 Blockbuster shops to grow convenience unit February 17, 2013 SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons yesterday snapped up 49 stores from defunct video chain Blockbuster, proving its commitment to the UK high street as it seeks to expand its offering of smaller shops. Blockbuster collapsed into administration last month, and advisers Deloitte are planning to close 332 stores across the UK. Morrisons, which earlier this month bought [...]
City Moves for 18 February 2013 | Who’s switching jobs February 17, 2013 Arle Capital Partners The private equity partnership has appointed Quentin Nason as head of client services, strategy and business development. He was most recently managing director in equity capital and structured equity capital at Deutsche Bank. FTI Consulting The business advisory firm has announced the appointment of two regulatory consultants to lead its governance, risk [...]
Small but perfectly formed: why Brides les Bains is a ski paradise February 17, 2013 BRIDES les Bains may be the smallest place you ever visit. With a population of just 600, it’s reminiscent of those little Irish towns where everyone knows everyone and the pharmacist is also the butcher and the local mechanic on Tuesdays. In fact, while dinning at the town’s main restaurant, La Petite Auberge (where 80 [...]
Practical steps towards improving Britain’s economic relationship with India February 17, 2013 WHEN it comes to bilateral relations with the BRICs, one country where the UK should have an edge on its rivals is India. Not only do we both share a love for cricket – unlike the US and the vast majority of the EU – but Britain is also home to a vibrant Indian community [...]
Retail gloom as UK stays at home February 17, 2013 SHOPPERS have been deserting the UK’s struggling retailers since the start of the year, adding to gloom in the sec- tor as sales fall for the first time in years and well-established firms col- lapse into administration. Total UK retail footfall sunk 4.6 per cent over the year to January, data from the British Retail [...]
SocGen boss de-neighs French food stereotypes at City lunch February 17, 2013 FRANCE may be known for its equine culinary culture, but the growing horse meat scandal seems to have put some of our next door neigh-bours on the back hoof. SocGen’s chief executive and chairman Frédéric Oudéa was feeling the pressure as he hosted a lunch last Friday, going on the defensive about his native land’s [...]
Why some businesses will fail to see the writing on the wall February 17, 2013 IMAGINE you invent the pen in a world of only pencils. You are so excited – you are going to change people’s lives! Pens are easier to write with, easier to read, and don’t need sharpening. You dream of success. Mixed in with your excitement is a dose of paranoia. Of course, anyone could steal [...]
Salesman who still has faith in the high street February 17, 2013 SOME entrepreneurs stumble upon their calling accidentally. Not this one. The founder of one Britain’s few contemporary retail success stories describes himself as the archetypal entrepreneur. Jason Bannister had always wanted to start his own company, but didn’t always know where. A brief stint working in a golf club pro shop when he was 15 [...]
Export assistance is close at hand February 17, 2013 IN A study released last year, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) found that British companies that export see a 34 per cent increase in productivity within their first year of selling abroad. Unfortunately, according to Ernst & Young, only one in five small to medium-sized UK firms currently do so, compared to one in four [...]
