Sky urges Ofcom to take action against public service broadcasters February 2, 2020 Sky has urged the broadcasting regulator to take action against ITV and Channel 5, saying the channels benefit from too much “government support”. Ofcom, the communications regulator, allows public service broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 – certain benefits in return for them making programmes that benefit the public. However, paid-for [...]
Brexit: UK diplomats ordered to make immediate break with EU counterparts February 2, 2020 British diplomats have reportedly been ordered to make a clean break with their EU counterparts following the UK’s exit from the bloc. Foreign secretary Dominic Raad ordered diplomats to sit apart from their former EU allies at international events and adopt a stance as a “confident independent country”, the Sunday Times reported. According to a [...]
General election result calms consumer confidence ‘jitters’ January 31, 2020 UK consumer confidence jumped this month, signalling the end of a “jittery mood” as sentiment strengthens following the general election result. Research published this morning showed that sentiment improved by two points to minus nine in January, driven by increased confidence in both individual finances and the general economic situation over the next year. January [...]
Square Mile police station to be transformed into five-star hotel January 30, 2020 The City’s Grade II* listed Wood Street Police Station is set to be transformed into a five-star hotel. The City of London Corporation has sold the building to Magnificent Hotels, after deciding the police station was “surplus to operational requirements”. The police force will be based at the Wood Street station until around December this [...]
Non-alcoholic beers protect Fuller’s from Dry January slump January 30, 2020 Pub chain Fuller, Smith and Turner said an increased range of non-alcoholic drinks protected it from the usual January slump in sales, despite an uptick in the number of people going tee-total for the month. Fuller’s today announced that like-for-like sales in managed pubs and hotels were up 4.3 per cent in the six weeks [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct resolves chunk of €674m Belgian tax bill January 30, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has resolved a large chunk of a €674m (£570.2m) tax dispute with the Belgian authorities. The retailer – which recently rebranded as Frasers Group – said €491m of the disputed VAT had been accounted for and authorities in Belgium had withdrawn the claim. Ashley’s company said it would “continue to fully engage [...]
H&M appoints new CEO in boardroom reshuffle January 30, 2020 H&M has announced the appointment of a new chief executive following a boardroom reshuffle sparked by the exit of chairman Stefan Persson. Shares jumped more than nine per cent after the Swedish retailer said it has appointed Helena Helmersson as its new chief executive as the company’s current boss steps into the role of chairman. [...]
Retail property market misses out on ‘Boris bounce’ January 30, 2020 London’s retail property market has continued to struggle, despite a bounce in the wider commercial real estate sector driven by the General Election result. Occupier demand in the retail sector fell in the fourth quarter of last year, according to research published today that found 70 per cent of chartered surveyors in the capital had [...]
Fashion brand Ted Baker bolsters board after torrid year January 29, 2020 Embattled fashion brand Ted Baker has appointed a new chief customer officer as it attempts to bolster its management team following a torrid year for the retailer. Jennifer Roebuck, who was most recently chief marketing officer at online beauty platform Feel Unique, has taken on the newly created role at Ted Baker. Her brief will [...]
Coronavirus: Ikea shuts mainland China stores following outbreak January 29, 2020 Ikea is the latest company to announce it will temporarily close stores in China due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The Swedish retailer will shut around half of its 30 stores in mainland China until further notice to help halt the spread of the disease, the company’s owner Ingka Group said. Other global chains including [...]
