Matalan drops Korean clothes supplier amid rumours of a pricing row October 30, 2016 Matalan has dropped one of its long-term suppliers amid rumours of price concerns. Korean firm JJ Global will no longer manufacture clothes for the discount retailer, following a n alleged dispute between JJ Global boss Kenny Kim and Matalan chief executive Jason Hargreaves. The Sunday Times has claimed that Kim and Hargreaves argued over pricing, as [...]
Hewden launches urgent search for backers as debt woes stack up October 30, 2016 Digger firm Hewden has launched an urgent search for new backers amid money concerns which could put more than 1,000 jobs at risk. The company, which rents diggers, cranes and other heavy machinery to building sites across the UK, is dealing with a cash shortage which it blames on “market uncertainty following the vote to leave [...]
Bargain-hunters drive up profits at TK Maxx, as new store plans are revealed October 30, 2016 Discount fashion retailer TK Maxx has reported soaring profits as it announces plans to open a slew of new stores across the UK in 2017. The US-owned firm saw profits jump by 11 per cent jump in the 12 months ending January 30 2016, increasing from £2.2bn to £2.4bn. Pre-tax profits also rose by 11 [...]
Most Brits would trust banks with fingerprint identification…but not the government September 19, 2016 Brits would trust their banks with fingerprint technology before they’d trust the government, new research has found. A report by Visa showed that 60 per cent of Britons trust their banks to safely store biometric information including fingerprint, iris and facial recognition. However, just 33 per cent were happy for the government to access the [...]
M&A slowdown will hit profitability at law firms, but fintech boom offers hope September 19, 2016 Declining M&A activity and downward pressure on fees will hit profitability at the UK’s top law firms, lawyers have predicted. However, new opportunities in London’s booming fintech sector will help to offset these risks. According to a new report by Thomson Reuters Legal, almost one quarter (24 per cent) of the finance directors (FDs) at [...]
Government will miss property targets without housing association reform, says think tank September 19, 2016 The government will miss its housing targets unless housing associations are able to build more homes, a leading think tank has revealed. Limitations on the number of homes which can be built privately and strict regulations on housing associations mean that the government will not be able to meet its goal of creating one million [...]
Retailers can breath a sigh of relief as UK footfall rises after two month decline September 19, 2016 Shoppers are finally returning to UK stores, as footfall figures rose in August, following two months of losses. According to a new report, UK footfall in August was up 0.1 per cent on the previous year, after falling by 0.4 per cent in July. Meanwhile High Street footfall rose for the second consecutive month, with [...]
Cathay family paid £60m dividend despite profit slump September 18, 2016 The family company which owns Cathay Pacific has paid itself a dividend of £60m, even though pre-tax profits fell by 20 per cent. John Swire & Sons, a 200-year old conglomerate which is still largely owned by the Swire family, has a large portfolio of companies in various sectors including bakeries, offshore oil exploration and [...]
Dog lovers, look away now: Cat pictures may soon be coming to a Tube near you May 20, 2016 Hot on the tail of the city's emerging cat café culture, Londoners may soon be able to see cats during their daily commute. A cuddly Kickstarter fund aims to replace all the ads at a Tube station with pictures of cats, and it is coming within a whisker of its target. Although it was initially dismissed [...]
Half of London women fear sexual harassment on the Tube May 19, 2016 It turns out the Tube can be a scary place. More than half of women in London worry about sexual harassment on public, according to new research – and 23 per cent said they had been victims of groping or other unwanted physical contact. Other Londoners said they had been subject to sexually offensive name [...]
