Spring starts well for mid-sized retailers as transactions jump April 7, 2014 MID-SIZED retailers recorded a strong sales performance last month, with a 3.2 per cent bump from February making it the best March for four years, according to accountancy firm BDO. The firm’s national head of retail, Don Williams, said that figures for retail traffic seemed to have detached from sales. “Footfall is no longer as [...]
Industry wants reform plan for competitive EU April 7, 2014 MANUFACTURERS are calling on the European Union to trim back red tape and institute a one-in one-out rule for regulation to limit the burden on firms. Industry lobby group EEF today release its “manifesto for growth”, pushing for business-friendly reforms to the EU ahead of the single market’s parliamentary elections in May. The group wants [...]
Freelance workers point to rise in fortunes during year ahead April 7, 2014 THREE times more freelancers expect an upturn in business this year than a decline, according to a survey of the growing self-employed workforce. Just over a third expect business to be better in 2014 than it was last year, while only 11.9 per cent still think conditions will worsen for them. In general, 70 per [...]
Russia faces off with Ukraine over gas prices April 7, 2014 TENSIONS between Ukraine and Russia escalated over the weekend, after talks over gas prices failed to reach a resolution. Russia nearly doubled the price Ukraine pays for its gas last week, using its supplies as a political pawn in the face of an ongoing dispute over the sovereignty of the Crimea region of Ukraine. Ukraine [...]
Government’s flagship export policy yet to help one business April 7, 2014 A GOVERNMENT policy designed to boost exports from UK businesses has failed to help one company, despite being launched in 2012. The export refinancing scheme, a £5bn guarantee launched by George Osborne, has been caught up in bureaucratic EU processes for two years awaiting approval, according to a spokesperson from the Department for Business Innovation [...]
Amec: Scottish split would be bad for business April 7, 2014 ENGINEERING giant Amec has urged voters in Scotland to keep the UK united, or risk billions of pounds of North Sea oil investment. The chief executive of Amec, which employs 4,500 workers in the oil and gas industry, said a “yes” vote would spell disaster for the North Sea at a time when the industry [...]
Clothing sales at M&S set to come up short April 7, 2014 MARKS & SPENCER chief executive Marc Bolland is expected to come under renewed pressure this week when the retailer posts yet another fall in underlying sales for its key clothing arm. The high street retailer is expected to report a decline of around one per cent in like-for-like general merchandise sales – which included clothing [...]
Supermarkets told to cut BOGOF deals to reduce UK’s food waste April 7, 2014 SUPERMARKETS have been urged to stop offering “buy one get one free” (BOGOF) deals in a bid to cut down on food waste. A report by the House of Lords European Union Committee revealed 15m tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year, and 89m tonnes in the whole of the EU. The [...]
New sums make the Nigerian economy the biggest in Africa April 7, 2014 THE NIGERIAN economy is nearly twice as large as official estimates previously suggested, making it Africa’s biggest, after a recalculation by the country’s statistical agency. The exercise has pushed the west African nation’s calculation of nominal GDP in 2013 to 80.2 trillion Nigerian naira (£295bn), far higher than the previous estimate of 42.4 trillion naira. [...]
High Speed 2 trains should be slower, MPs say April 7, 2014 POLITICIANS have come up with a new way to make High Speed 2 more green – slow down the high-speed trains, adding to journey times but cutting back on fuel. MPs looking at HS2’s environmental credentials said today the new railway should consider lowering the top speed of its services to curb the use of electricity [...]
