Startups urge caution over buy now pay later regulation July 26, 2021 British startups have urged caution over the City watchdog’s plans to regulate the £2.7bn buy now pay later market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to crack down on companies such as Klarna and Clearpay after the number of BNPL transactions across the UK tripled last year. But a lobby group representing startups has [...]
Sale rates soar for online retailer ASOS July 15, 2021 Online fashion giant ASOS saw sales continue to skyrocket despite physical competitors re-opening, per the firm’s latest market update. UK sales increased 60 per cent for the retailer in the four months to the end of June, with active customers growing by a further 1.2m. Chief executive officer Nick Beighton said, “ASOS has delivered another [...]
Revolution Beauty to make stock market debut July 13, 2021 Revolution Beauty are plotting a float on London’s alternative markets valuing the company at nearly half a billion pounds. The float has received strong support from shareholders and was significantly oversubscribed, the UK-based firm said this morning. Read more: Asos enters deal with Nordstrom to bolster Topshop’s US presence Adam Minto, the beauty firm’s boss [...]
Asos enters deal with Nordstrom to bolster Topshop’s US presence July 12, 2021 Asos has teamed up with the US’ Nordstrom, which will see Topshop clothes sold in brick and mortar stores for the first time since the brand fell into admission last year. The joint-venture will see Nordstrom snag a minority stake in Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands, which joined Asos’ pre-existing online platform following [...]
Philip Green’s wife Tina paid £50m by Topshop administrators July 7, 2021 Tina Green, the wife of former retail tycoon Philip Green, received £50m in May from Topshop’s administration. The £50m was lent to Topshop as part of an emergency restructuring in 2019 and secured against a warehouse in Northamptonshire. In the wake of the collapse of parent company Arcadia, the space was sold for £83m, the [...]
UK businesses pay £1bn of furlough money back to the Treasury June 17, 2021 British firms have paid back the government more than £1bn in previously claimed furlough payments, after weathering the Covid recession successfully. A Freedom of Information request, sent by the Financial Times, revealed that £709m of money claimed through the coronavirus job retention scheme has now been repaid to HM Revenue and Customs by businesses. Another [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? June 16, 2021 City A.M.‘s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. CBRE board bags ex-BlackRock real estate lead A former head of global real estate at investment heavyweight BlackRock is set to join real estate services firm CBRE in June. Marcus Sperber [...]
Multinational tax dodging strategies should be as damaging as fuelling climate change June 11, 2021 The G7’s landmark deal to tackle tax avoidance and crack down on multinational companies that treat our global economy as a financial rabbit warren, might seem a welcome step in the right direction. But until businesses start seeing tax as an investment opportunity as opposed to an unwelcome bill, it’s unlikely to make much of [...]
Fossil fuel fashion: half of clothing made from non-recycled plastic, think tank says June 11, 2021 Half of fast-fashion items sold by online brands like Boohoo and Missguided, are made solely from non-recycled plastics, a think-tank has said today. Think tank Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) urged the government to impose a new tax on such clothing made from non-recycled plastic like polyester. Income from the suggested clothing [...]
As accounting firms prep for busy period, non-Big Four players spot new opportunities May 26, 2021 The majority of 2020 was a slow year for the UK’s deals market, with mergers and acquisitions depressed by the Coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdown restrictions. This trend, however, now seems to be in reverse with a number a big deal in the private sector, including Virgin Media and O2’s £31bn mega merger, and [...]