The death of cash: Brits pay by card and mobile instead April 13, 2015 Cash makes up just £18.33 of every £100 spent in the UK, Halifax said today, as card and digital payments take over. The rise of digital payments is starkly outlined in new figures from the bank, which show how quickly Britons have adopted cutting-edge technologies. Cheques account for just 1.2 per cent of all current [...]
Clinton throws her hat in the ring for US presidency April 12, 2015 HILLARY Clinton has finally confirmed her bid for the US presidency, announcing that she was embarking on a second run for the White House in a video released yesterday. “Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion,” she said in the video, which was posted on her new campaign website. “So [...]
General Election 2015: Nutmeg CEO Nick Hungerford wants a government that is honest about state pensions and embraces entrepreneurship April 12, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN 24 DAYS TO GO Every day until the final week of the election campaign, we ask a business leader to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. NICK HUNGERFORD: CEO, NUTMEG What I want is a government which is going to be honest with the people of [...]
General Election 2015: Introducing the business wish list April 12, 2015 As we enter the final days of the election, we have decided to ask a select group of business leaders what would make them vote for one of the parties. We’ve not asked them to name the party they support because for many this would count them out of giving an opinion. [...]
Edi Truell looks to sell Tracker Network in £100m IPO April 12, 2015 Venture capitalist Edi Truell has hired investment bankers to advise him on the possible sale of Tracker Network. Truell hopes the vehicle tracking firm, which has sales of around £20m per year, would be worth around £100m. He has hired bankers at Evercore to look into the possibility. Alternative options include debt financing, a trade [...]
London leads UK business activity April 12, 2015 London is leading the way as the UK sees business activity rise at a pace not experienced for seven months, a survey of firms released today shows. Lloyds’ purchasing managers’ index shows all regions across England and Wales were boosted by gains in employment growth.
Sainsbury’s cuts back on Nectar loyalty rewards April 12, 2015 Sainsbury’s has halved the number of Nectar points its customers can earn, sparking fears that frustrated shoppers will turn to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl instead. The retailer made changes to the loyalty scheme this weekend, meaning members now only earn one point for every £1 spent in-store and online, as opposed to two [...]
Zara founder Amancio Ortega’s buying spree on Oxford St April 12, 2015 The billionaire founder of Spanish clothing empire Inditex has snapped up a cluster of buildings on the east end of London’s Oxford Street. Amancio Ortega, who founded the fashion giant Zara in 1975, is understood to have bought a development at 26-48 Oxford Street from property companies Land Securities and Frogmore through his investment vehicle [...]
Stewart Wood: The man behind Ed Miliband shaking up his party’s approach to business and the economy April 12, 2015 Stewart Wood, the Labour peer, is not exactly a household name. He is more likely to be found following his beloved Liverpool football team around the country than touring the television studios for political programmes. However, his influence as a long term ally of party leader Ed Miliband is becoming increasingly clear. Wood [...]
Investment bankers lead City workers in favouring diversity April 12, 2015 Investment banking staff are the most convinced of all City workers of the benefits of workplace diversity. Workplace diversity was rated as important or very important by 59 per cent of investment bankers, according to survey figures released today by recruiters Astbury Marsden. “Investment banks pride themselves on being fiercely meritocratic – they will take [...]