Waitrose targets 1,500 new jobs as part of store expansion plans December 13, 2015 Waitrose is ramping up its expansion with plans to launch 14 stores from the spring of next year, creating 1,500 jobs. The upmarket grocer said the new openings will include five supermarkets in towns such as Truro in Cornwall and Worcester in the Midlands. They also comprise of nine new little Waitrose convenience shops, one of [...]
UK house prices: Most landlords to hold rents in first half of 2016 as price growth slows December 9, 2015 Rents on new tenancies agreed over the three months to November fell in most areas of the country, according to research from HomeLet that also suggests nine in 10 landlords do not intend to raise existing rents in the first six months of the year. The insurance provider’s latest rental index shows rents on new [...]
UK homeowners unprepared for interest rate hike, warns TSB December 9, 2015 UK homeowners are unprepared for an interest rate rise, despite nearly three quarters of borrowers facing an increase in their monthly repayments if the Bank of England votes for a change in the base rate. A survey released today by high street bank TSB found that one of five of borrowers said they have “no [...]
UK property listings drop by a fifth in November as London scores zero December 9, 2015 New property listings dropped by more than a fifth across the UK in November, with not one London borough recording a rise in supply, new research shows. The number of new homes on the market dropped by 21.5 per cent, according to the latest Property Supply Index by online estate agents HouseSimple.com, marking the biggest drop [...]
Insurer AIG backs Camden Market owner Market Tech Holdings with £900m loan December 8, 2015 American insurance giant AIG has thrown its weight behind the owner of Camden Market after agreeing to provide it with a £900m debt package. Market Tech Holdings said the 10-year secured debt facility, arranged by AIG Asset Management, comprises of a committed £300m term loan, which will be drawn down immediately. A further £100m will be [...]
Challenger Acquisitions shares soar to lofty heights as Ferris wheel maker relists on London’s main market December 8, 2015 A company that builds giant Ferris wheels across the world has relisted on the London Stock Market this morning after a six month acquisition spree, with shares soaring by 30 per cent. Challenger Acquisitions suspended trading six months ago to complete its reverse takeover of engineering firm Starneth, which helped design and build four of [...]
UK retail sales: Online Black Friday bonanza steals limelight away from the high street December 8, 2015 High street retailers lost out in November, with sales falling into the red, as online retailers enticing shoppers with Black Friday bargains stole the show. Like-for-like retail sales fell by 0.4 per cent last month compared with November last year, when they had increased 0.9 per cent from the preceding year, according to figures released [...]
Islamic State earns $80m a month from oil sales and taxes but funds may be weakening, IHS says December 7, 2015 The Islamic State collects around $80m a month from oil sales and tax on activities in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria, according new research released yesterday by IHS. The information and analytics firm said Isis relies on six main sources of revenue, with more than 50 per cent coming from tax on all [...]
City law firm GQ Employment Law acquires smaller rival Camfords December 7, 2015 City law firm GQ Employment Law has snapped up a smaller boutique rival Camfords for an undisclosed sum, the pair announced today. Founded in 2010 by former Clyde & Co lawyer Richard Harvey, Camfords advises domestic and multi-national businesses and high-net worth individuals across a number of industry sectors including insurance, technology and luxury goods [...]
US hotelier Highgate beds down in London as Shoreditch hotel plans win approval December 7, 2015 One of New York’s biggest hotel operators is making its first move into the London market after winning planning consent for a site on Shoreditch High Street. Highgate Holdings, which owns the Knickerbocker on New York’s Times Square, is planning a 319,000 square foot, mixed-used scheme at 201-207 Shoreditch High Street that rises to 30 [...]
