Do you take contactless cards? How about dog leads? These are the 10 items Britons want to be contactless payment-enabled August 16, 2016 Contactless payments may already be ubiquitous here in the City, but with the ever-encroaching tide of the Internet of Things people might start using some slightly more unusual payment methods in the future. Contactless technology is used to make around seven million transactions per day in the UK, but what about cufflinks? Watches? Even your [...]
US housing market lifts profits at DIY giant Home Depot August 16, 2016 The strong US housing market lifted second quarter sales and profits at the world’s largest DIY retailer, Home Depot. The figures Reported sales were up 6.6 per cent to $26.5bn (£20.5bn), while comparable stores sales rose 4.7 per cent in the three-month period, marginally below a Wall Street estimate of 4.8 per cent. Home Depot operates [...]
Pressure mounts on government to scrap sugar tax as businesses and industry groups join forces in Face the Facts, Can the Tax campaign August 16, 2016 Soft drinks producers, off licences, pubs and sugar businesses have launched a new campaign to ramp up calls for the government to scrap its soft drinks levy. The sugar tax, which was first announced in the March Budget, will be applied to drinks containing more than five grams of sugar per 100ml from April 2018. The [...]
You can now buy the world’s oldest port wine brand online from Marks and Spencer August 16, 2016 Move over, craft beer. For the first time in five centuries, the world's oldest brand of port wine is now going to be available to buy online at a major UK retailer. Top-tier port brand Kopke's 1996 vintage has launched on Marks & Spencer online for £30 for a single bottle and can also be [...]
The weaker pound is luring more US tourists to the UK, according to research from Hotels.com August 16, 2016 The fall in Sterling since the EU referendum is enticing more Americans to visit the UK, according to research from Hotels.com. More than four in 10 Americans (42 per cent) said they were more likely to visit for a holiday as the dip in the pound continued to favour the dollar. Sterling has fallen 18 [...]
Should’ve filed it sooner: Specsavers wins trademark approval for advert tag line from UK’s Intellectual Property Office August 15, 2016 Specsavers’ application to trademark the words “should’ve” and “shouldve” was approved yesterday in a surprise decision by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). The glasses retailer filed its application on 18 July and will need to wait two months for the mark to be formally registered. Third parties are able to raise objections in the [...]
Almost all employers are willing to pay more than the typical apprenticeship wage for the “right” candidate August 15, 2016 The vast majority of UK employers are willing to pay more than the typical apprenticeship wage, new research shows. More than nine in 10 (92 per cent) of respondents to a survey from apprenticeship group Positive Outcomes said they would be willing to offer more than the typical wage if they were matched with the [...]
Spray, jelly and antibiotics: How tea could transform in the next decade August 15, 2016 Forget Bubble Tea, loose-leafed and the ever-civilised afternoon tea – this is what is set to happen to the nation's favourite hot beverage in the next 10 years. Britons consume around 165m cups of tea everyday, but research from Tetley and the Future Foundation has predicted a wave of technology and personalisation innovations that could [...]
Wealth managers and IFAs are looking to wine investments as a post-Brexit safe haven August 15, 2016 A rise in demand for asset diversification and safe havens could drive an increased appetite for wine investments in the next 12 months following the UK’s Brexit vote. More than a quarter of wealth managers and independent financial advisers (IFAs) believe demand will increase over the next year, according to research among 101 intermediaries by [...]
Sage leads FTSE 100 fallers after data breach August 15, 2016 Shares in Sage opened more than four per cent lower and as the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 on monday morning after it revealed nearly 300 UK company records may have been compromised. The accountancy software firm told affected customers on Friday that their information — including employee bank details and salary information — may [...]
