City lookahead: Analysts forecasting drop in sales at Sainsbury’s June 30, 2019 Sainsbury’s is expected to reveal a dip in sales when it posts its quarterly results later this week, as a spell of poor weather and an increasingly competitive retail market weighs on the supermarket giant. The grocery chain is forecasted to post no improvement in its sales on Wednesday, underlining the firm’s current challenges in [...]
Reforms to planning and Help-to-Buy unveiled by government June 27, 2019 A shake-up of Britain’s planning system that will let councils approve applications more quickly and enforce tougher Help to Buy rules on developers was unveiled today. Housing secretary James Brokenshire has revealed plans to introduce new quality controls on housebuilders, while also pledging to prevent developers from selling leasehold houses through its Help to Buy [...]
Oxford University strikes £4bn partnership with Legal & General June 27, 2019 Legal & General has signed a £4bn partnership deal with Oxford University in its latest bid to tap into the growing market of student accommodation. The property giant has struck a 10-year partnership with the country’s oldest university as part of a plan to deliver 1000 subsidised home for university and college staff, 1000 units [...]
Boots posts drop in UK quarterly sales amid tough trading conditions June 27, 2019 The parent owner of Boots, Britain’s largest chain of chemists, has posted a drop in UK quarterly sales amid challenging high street conditions. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) posted a 1.6 per cent drop in sales during the three months to the end of May, spurred on by a one per cent decline in its troubled [...]
Footage of Angela Merkel shaking sparks fresh concerns over health June 27, 2019 Angela Merkel has been seen shaking for the second time in just over a week, sparking fresh concerns over the German chancellor’s health. New footage appears to show Merkel trembling uncontrollably for roughly two minutes in a Berlin ceremony earlier today. Read more: European Commission launches antitrust probe into broadcom It is the second time [...]
Retailer Bathstore collapses into administration as jobs hang on the line June 26, 2019 Bathstore, the UK’s largest specialist bathroom retailer, has collapsed into administration this afternoon. The future for more than 500 jobs and roughly 135 stores lies in doubt as administrators said today they are looking to sell the business. Ryan Grant and Tony Nygate of BDO’s restructuring unit have been appointed joint administrations. BDO business restructuring [...]
Up in smoke: San Francisco becomes first US city to ban sales of e-cigarettes June 26, 2019 San Francisco is set to impose a blanket ban on e-cigarettes sales, becoming the first major US city to clamp down on the increasingly popular vaping alternative to smoking. A board of supervisors voted unanimously last night to ban the sale of distributions of e-cigarettes in the Californian city, which is home to some of [...]
UK property market: Mortgage approvals dip from 26-month April high June 26, 2019 The number of residential mortgages approved by banks dipped last month, easing back from a 26-month high in April but remaining above the monthly average. Seasonally adjusted figures show that banks in Britain approved 42,384 house purchase mortgages in May, falling from roughly 42,900 in April but beating the consensus of 41,000. Read more: London [...]
Oxford Street discounts signal a troubling start to the summer for retailers June 25, 2019 The crucial summer selling season is finally upon us, but for retailers on London’s most celebrated high street, all is not well. Big red discounts in shop windows line the parade on Oxford Street, where many of the country’s flagship fashion stores are offering major price reductions in a desperate bid to boost their sales. [...]
Car crash for Lookers: Motor dealer’s shares dive as FCA launch probe June 25, 2019 Motor retail giant Lookers suffered a crash in its share price this afternoon after revealing that the City watchdog is probing its sales practices. The car dealership chain’s share price dived 25 per cent this afternoon as the firm said that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) “intents to carry out an investigation into the company’s [...]
