Black Friday backlash begins: Two million orders “won’t arrive on time” November 30, 2015 This year's Black Friday may not have created quite the frenzy it did last year – no fisticuffs in the aisles this time around – but that doesn't mean it can't create the same levels of disappointment. Or that's according to supply chain consultancy LCP Consulting, which has warned that two million Black Friday orders could [...]
Cranswick results sizzle as Asia goes mad for British pork November 30, 2015 Pork producer Cranswick put in far from its wurst performance in the six months to the end of September, after it posted a 9.9 per cent rise in revenues. The figures It's been a sizzling summer for Cranswick, which said revenues jumped to £529.1m during the period, up from £481.5m during the same period last year. Adjusted profits before tax [...]
Black Friday 2015: Argos quashes outage rumours as John Lewis website goes down November 27, 2015 Argos has quashed talk of an outage on its website, saying it has already had 2.5 million visits to its website – just as John Lewis' website collapsed under the pressure as Black Friday's shopping frenzy continued apace. In a statement, Argos said its website had "not crashed or seen any outages at any point today". "We are seeing [...]
Thames Water chief executive Martin Baggs to step down November 27, 2015 Thames Water chief executive Martin Baggs has announced plans to step down next year, the company said today. Baggs has led the UK's largest water company for the past six years, but said today he will step down by the end of 2016. "After spending all 30 years of my working life in the UK water industry… I [...]
These three charts show the UK is made up of late-night, smartphone-using Black Friday addicts November 27, 2015 Black Friday may be the shopping equivalent of Marmite – you either love it or you hate it – but it looks like, despite their complaints, British shoppers are seizing the deals bonanza with both hands. Figures from PCA Predict suggest the UK has gone bananas for deals, with a 62 per cent increase in the [...]
Autumn Statement 2015 buy-to-let advice for landlords: After the chancellor’s stamp duty hike, what should investors do? November 27, 2015 The chancellor's announcement of a three per cent stamp duty levy on non-primary residences – specifically buy-to-let investments and second homes – caught many by surprise. This change is an incredibly blunt instrument to deal with a complex set of housing market issues. In principle, it will reduce the competition between first-time buyers and investors for many [...]
Good news for Cuadrilla as minister opts to decide on Lancashire fracking plans November 27, 2015 Energy firm Cuadrilla has said it "looks forward" to presenting its shale gas exploration plans in Lancashire to secretary of state for communities and local government Greg Clark. Clark informed Lancashire county council yesterday of his plans to use "recovery" procedures to decide on the outcome of an appeal over fracking at two sites in the area. Usually, planning permission would be [...]
Sorry, UK shoppers love Black Friday – with more than 60 per cent of adults planning to take advantage of deals November 27, 2015 After showdowns in the aisles in 2014, not much love has been lost on Black Friday this year, with shoppers and pundits alike complaining vocally about the deals bonanza. But that's not going to prevent them from taking advantage, it turns out, after new research suggested 62 per cent of adults are planning on taking advantage of [...]
Luxury investments: Classic cars rise in value by almost 500 per cent, as London residential property disappoints November 27, 2015 Got a substantial amount of spare cash lying around? Don't be tempted by property: classic cars are the best investment, according to new research. Knight Frank's Luxury Investment Index suggests class cars have increased in value by 498 per cent over the last 10 years, compared with high-end London residential property, which has risen a mere [...]
Unless retailers make delivery a priority, Black Friday 2015 could destroy their reputations November 26, 2015 Black Friday is upon us. The US import, which is arguably just a PR stunt for UK retailers, has once again caused discount hysteria. Even away from the high street, where the media flocks to witness fist-fights over discounted TVs, this flash sale causes problems. No more so than for the couriers tasked with getting these bargains [...]
