Greggs blames weather and shorter days for flaky sales January 9, 2013 GREGGS chief executive Ken McMeikan said fewer trading hours and the miserable weather had caused the bakery chain’s like-for-like sales to fall 2.9 per cent in the five weeks to 7 January. The fact that two of the busiest trading days fell on Sundays, when shopping hours are restricted, dragged like-for-like sales down two per [...]
EAT hires new chief from Costa January 9, 2013 EAT has poached former managing director of Costa Coffee’s retail arm Adrian Johnson to be its new chief executive, the chain said yesterday. It has also bolstered its board by appointing Waitrose veteran Tony Solomons as a senior non-executive.
Schroders replaces its auditor January 9, 2013 FTSE 100 investment firm Schroders has chosen KPMG as its new auditor, replacing PwC after more than 50 years. Schroders began a tender process in September for its auditor, a mandate that rarely changes hands in Britain’s largest companies.
Blur skyrockets on good figures January 9, 2013 Shares in British technology company Blur rose a staggering 27 per cent yesterday as the recently-listed firm said that trading was far ahead of market expectations. Blur, which listed on Aim in October, has software that allows businesses to collaborate.
Merkel: no cash for Cyprus if it fails to reform January 9, 2013 GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained a hard line on Eurozone bailout programmes yesterday, insisting that the Cypriot government must agree to significant reforms to qualify for a rescue package. Speaking after separate talks with Malta’s Prime Minister, Merkel said that a resolution for Cyprus still has hurdles to overcome. “There can be no special conditions [...]
Profitability in services is three times higher than in factories January 9, 2013 THE PROFITABILITY of companies in the UK’s service sector has jumped to over three and a half times the level of their peers in the manufacturing sector, official figures revealed yesterday. The net rate of return for service firms jumped to 16.9 per cent in the third quarter of last year, the Office for National Statistics [...]
UK trade deficit narrows by less than expected January 9, 2013 BRITAIN’S trade deficit narrowed less than expected in the penultimate month of last year, according to data released yesterday. The figures, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), also showed a trend of UK companies’ exports heading beyond Europe’s borders. “In volume terms exports of goods to the EU were 3.7 per cent lower [...]
Drop in energy prices drives dip in inflation for OECD members January 9, 2013 INFLATION in the world’s more economically developed countries slowed down towards the end of 2012, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced yesterday. In November 2012, consumer prices rose by just 1.9 per cent versus the same month a year earlier. This compares to a 2.2 per cent rise in the prior month [...]
Cycle to Paris? Scope throws down gauntlet January 9, 2013 DISABILITY charity Scope has challenged our City Boris Bikers to step their game up a notch, and take part in a London to Paris cycle ride. The charity is organising the 24 hour ride as part of a wider fundraising campaign in which participants are encouraged to try and fulfil an ambition in just one [...]
Sir Bobby Charlton chats to insurers at Lloyd’s of London January 9, 2013 FORMER England and Manchester United footballer Sir Bobby Charlton was spotted in the City this week. The football legend was at the Lloyd’s of London building to announce the launch of a £1m research fund for global landmine charity Find a Better Way. Charlton set up the charity after a visit to Cambodia, with the [...]
