Working out well: Third Space eyes suburban locations for expansion pipeline September 14, 2022 Luxury health club brand Third Space is eyeing more locations in suburban areas, as opposed to in office hotspots, its CEO has told City A.M. Third Space offers members “a combination of expertise and luxury” and caters to “fitness savvy enthusiasts” as opposed to “first timers”, with members who “like the finer things in life,” [...]
Premiership sees opening-round attendances fall to a six-season low September 13, 2022 Premiership rugby’s opening-round attendances have fallen to a five-season low. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, and not including the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season, the percentage of seats filled by punters in England’s top division during the first round has never been lower than last weekend. The opening round saw 59 per cent of seats [...]
Forget tech, hospitality or transport: These are Britain’s most profitable sectors September 13, 2022 At the beginning of this year, the UK counted around 5.6 million private sector businesses. Described as the backbone of the UK’s economy, SMEs account for 99.9 per cent of all businesses in Britain. With house prices currently at a record high, it’s no surprise that business and property services are amongst the sectors making the most profit in the [...]
Most UK homebuyers and owners are locking in mortgage rates as rises loom September 13, 2022 The majority of homebuyers and owners are locking in their mortgage rates to escape looming rate rises later this year, according to the latest data. Most new buyers – some 95.5 per cent – are taking out fixed rate mortgages, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found, while the proportion of mortgaged homeowners fixing their rates [...]
Sainsbury’s injects £20m into boosting shop workers’ wages September 13, 2022 Sainsbury’s has said it will boost pay for its shop workers in London to £11.20 per hour, as well as offering employees free food amid the cost of living crisis. The supermarket said it was investing £25m into supporting its hourly paid workers, with some £20m being pumped into employees’ pay packets. Employees at Sainsbury’s [...]
UK joblessness falls to 1970s low, but pay continues to plummet September 13, 2022 UK joblessness has slid to its lowest level since 1974, but scorching inflation is still wiping out Brits’ pay, official figures published today reveal. The proportion of people out of work dropped to 3.6 per cent in the three months to July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Despite the historic low unemployment [...]
Ocado shoppers sent to cut back on spending at online grocer September 13, 2022 Ocado has warned its grocery shoppers will cut back on spending as they turn to cheaper supermarkets and add less to their baskets. In a trading update, the London-listed firm noted “accelerating trading down and smaller baskets, particularly over the last few weeks” and said it now expected to see “a small sales decline” in [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? September 13, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Kantar Data insights company Kantar has appointed a managing partner to lead its consultancy practice. Natalie Vander Vorst is set to lead the 150-person strong practice, which advises brands on commercial and marketing strategies. Over her career, [...]
Energy bills is Kwarteng’s first priority, then we must claw back our dismal productivity September 12, 2022 A looming 15-month long recession. Highest debt burden since the 1960s. Biggest living standards shock on record. It’s not the best time to be managing the UK economy. But that’s exactly what newly appointed chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has been tasked with. His problems can be split into three categories: short, medium and long term. Kwarteng’s [...]
Asos warn on profits as cost of living crisis hits consumers September 9, 2022 Asos has cautioned over profits after sales fell below expectations in August as consumers tightened their belts in response to rising bills. The online fashion giant said it saw “good growth” in June and July and expects total sales for the year to August 31 to remain within market expectations. However, it said it is [...]