Trouble in store: More pain on the way for UK retail April 10, 2017 A triple-blow of tax hikes, rising costs and a squeeze on consumer spending is threatening to wipe out thousands of British retailers, with a string of familiar high street names expected to fall into administration this year. Nearly 23,000 retailers were under significant financial stress at the end of the first quarter according to insolvency [...]
Number of firms in financial stress grows for thirteenth quarter in a row January 30, 2017 Over 275,000 companies were showing sings of financial distress at the end of 2016, the thirteenth quarter in a row that business stress in the UK has risen. The figures from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor show that the number of companies battling 'significant' financial distress grew three per cent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2016. Read [...]
Original Travel’s chief executive reveals how its services stand out in a sea of travel companies January 23, 2017 Parents have 40 opportunities to go on a holiday with their children before they outgrow family outings according to travel company chief executive Nick Newbury. He points out that there’s only so much time in a year, and so much holiday leave in a job. As well as time constraints, pressure is mounting on consumers [...]
British sports car maker Zenos has gone into administration January 20, 2017 The Norfolk-based manufacturer of lightweight sports cars, Zenos, has revealed that it’s entered administration – citing a downturn in sales for it ceasing trading. The start-up company has been punching above its weight since it launched the brilliant E10 in January 2015. Journalists raved about the £26,995 Lotus rival – but, ultimately, it wasn’t enough [...]
Warning signs for legal eagles: One in three law firms in serious financial danger January 19, 2017 One in three law firms is currently in financial hot water, according to figures seen by City A.M. A search by Opus Restructuring of a database from Company Watch identified just over 6,000 UK law firms with enough numbers to crunch. Of those, 2,056, or 34 per cent, were performing so poorly financially that they could be at [...]
Food suppliers squeezed as supermarkets play hardball in Brexit price talks January 10, 2017 Food suppliers are being squeezed as supermarkets play hardball in talks over which side should shoulder the burden for the devaluation of the pound, new figures suggest. Research from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor shows 6,000 food suppliers were showing signs of financial distress in the final quarter of 2016, an increase of 13 per cent [...]
Already thinking about summer? These will be the most popular tourist destinations of 2017 January 6, 2017 If being back at work is already getting you down, why not give yourself something to look forward to by planning your summer holiday right now? Staycations are set to be a big trend in 2017 due to the fall in the value of the pound, but Gatwick airport is confident that weary workers will [...]
Easyjet passenger numbers are on the up despite tough year January 6, 2017 EasyJet had a rough ride in 2016, but has kicked off the new year with a bit of good news, reporting this morning that passenger numbers were up in December. The budget airline transported 5,579,978 passengers around the globe in December, up 15 per cent on the year before. That brought the company's passenger number [...]
Insolvencies are on the rise for the travel industry as the weak pound and terrorism fears hit businesses January 5, 2017 The travel industry is braced for thousands of insolvencies as the sector comes under increasing pressure from terrorism fears and rising costs. According to data from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, 2,679 businesses in the travel industry currently have "red flags" over them which indicates that they are experiencing significant levels of distress. This is a [...]
City Moves for 16 November 2016 | Who’s switching jobs November 16, 2016 HSBC HSBC’s Sanjeev Chopra is to join Psigma Investment Management as investment director in January 2017 reporting to John Howard-Smith, CEO. A seasoned investment professional, Sanjeev has worked at HSBC for nearly two decades, his most recent role being client director at HSBC Global Asset Management. IHS Markit IHS Markit has appointed Andrew Aziz as the global [...]