John Lewis opens its first European store as it expands into the Netherlands November 11, 2015 John Lewis may be the chattering classes' favourite department store at home – but so far, it hasn't ventured into Europe. But that's about to change: today the retailer announced plans to open its first European offerings – in the Netherlands. The company said it will open three "shop-in-shops" in de Bijenkorf department stores. The first three [...]
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos becomes the fourth richest person in the world, overtaking Carlos Slim November 11, 2015 Important news for billionaire watchers: last night Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the fourth-richest person in the world, after a rally in the online retailer caused him to breeze past Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim. Amazon shares finished yesterday 0.64 per cent up, at $4.19. According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, that pushes his fortune up to $58.2bn [...]
Jobsite Glassdoor expands into Austria, Switzerland and Belgium November 10, 2015 Jobs and recruiting marketplace Glassdoor has expanded further into Europe, with new launches in Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. The company, which also allows users to "review" their roles and provide salary information, said it has created "country-specific" apps and websites to show local jobs, as well as tools allowing employers to promote their jobs. In January Glassdoor raised [...]
UBS got it wrong: There’s no such thing as a London house price bubble November 10, 2015 Is London’s residential property market in a bubble? UBS seems to think so, after its Global Real Estate Bubble index suggested the UK's housing market is on the brink of a crash. But has it got its facts right? After all, the devil is really in the detail – and this was put together by [...]
After 30 years, Sony finally kills off Betamax November 10, 2015 Apple vs Android may be the big battle of the digital era – but not so long ago, it was all about the showdown between video and Betamax. And after 30 long years, Sony has finally admitted defeat, with the announcement it will kill off the Betamax. In a statement today, Sony said it will [...]
EU reform: Dear Donald – the full text of David Cameron’s EU renegotiation letter to Donald Tusk November 10, 2015 David Cameron has finally outlined his plans for EU renegotiation to European Council president Donald Tusk. But what did he actually ask for? The full thing comes in at a weighty 2,000 words across six pages. The letter suggests the pair are on first-name terms – beginning with "Dear Donald" and ending with a simple [...]
As Transport for London and Virgin Media add free wifi to 100 more Tube stations, data use leaps to 20 terabytes a day November 10, 2015 Avast, social media fans: you need never miss out on a Snapchat again, after Transport for London (TfL) and Virgin Media added 100 new stations to their underground wifi network. Yep, everyone from those alighting in Alperton to those voyaging from Victoria Coach Station will henceforth be able to access wifi. The scheme is now available [...]
London office rents: Naysayers are right to worry about a bubble – but London will keep growing November 10, 2015 London’s office market is booming, there’s no doubt about it. We are the midst of an upward cycle and have seen huge levels of capital investment and rental growth in the last few years. This is largely thanks to a spike in demand fuelled by the economic recovery and increased confidence in businesses. With the [...]
Experience in foreign markets adds 15 per cent to your salary – as employers are desperate to hire people with experience abroad November 10, 2015 As the UK becomes ever-more reliant on contributions from foreign markets, employers are becoming increasingly desperate to hire people with experience abroad. Or that's according to a new survey, anyway, which suggests people with work experience outside the UK could stand to add 15 per cent to their salaries within one to three years of [...]
Och aye: After 44 years, the US may be on the brink of lifting its haggis ban after recipe “tweak” November 9, 2015 NULL