Amazon and Hachette give up their pricing war – just in time for Christmas November 13, 2014 It's a brave brand that takes on the might of Amazon – but US publisher Hachette gave it a good go, arguing that it should have control over the price of its ebooks. The battle was keenly observed by fellow publishers, not least because underneath, they were grumbling about the same thing. But it looks [...]
Alibaba Singles Day 2014 sales are three times bigger than last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales combined November 11, 2014 Alibaba has made over $9bn from its Singles Day sales bonanza. $9.3bn (£5.67bn) worth of sales to be exact. In 24 hours. No wonder investors were so keen to get a slice of that pie earlier this year. What started as a day for lonely hearts to celebrate singledom by purchasing gifts for [...]
Singles’ Day 2014: China’s retail giants set for sales windfall during world’s biggest online shopping day November 10, 2014 China's biggest online retailers, including the recently floated Alibaba, are set for the biggest online shopping day in the world tomorrow. Last year, Singles’ Day was responsible for $5.8bn (£3.6bn) worth of orders for Alibaba alone. This year that figure is expected to grow by 42 per cent to around $8.2bn, according to market [...]
UK retailers expect bumper Christmas: John Lewis advert announced and Fortnum & Mason seasonal window revealed November 3, 2014 Nearly three quarters of UK retailers (70 per cent) believe this Christmas will bring better trading than last year due to an improving economy and following a healthy year of trading. Read: A short history of John Lewis' Christmas ad success The figures compare favourably to the 52 per cent of retailers [...]
FTSE 100 falls again as price slump hits oil sector – London Report October 20, 2014 Britain’s top equity index resumed its fall yesterday, giving back half the gains made in the previous session, as investors reckoned with reduced earnings expectations for oil companies after a slump in oil prices. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed down 43.22 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 6,267.07 points, after rising 114 points on [...]
Ebola to Ukraine: The West has failed to pay the piper – with terrible results October 19, 2014 Something truly terrible happened in Hamelin, Germany in the early Middle Ages, something so dire it has become embedded in western consciousness as the fairy tale “The Pied Piper.” Whether the town experienced a severe case of the Black Death, a rush of emigration to Eastern Europe, suffered through the Children’s Crusade, or was the [...]
How to make Blanchette’s perfect beef fillet October 15, 2014 Tom Storrar, head chef at Soho's Blanchette, on his beef fillet with courgettes, sarladaise potatoes and green peppercorn sauce I’ve been at Blanchette since the restaurant opened late last year. The beef in this recipe is a new dish on the menu; a restaurant version of steak and chips. I chose it because many [...]
Uber taxi app: Founder Travis Kalanick’s plan to rid London of a million cars October 5, 2014 London will be less congested and less polluted, app founder tells Oliver Smith Travis Kalanick outlined what might be his most ambitious goal yet on Friday. Speaking to more than 2,000 business delegates at the Institute of Directors annual convention in the Royal Albert Hall, Kalanick said his four-year-old startup would aim to take a [...]
Uber makes peace with German taxi drivers September 30, 2014 Uber has launched its UberTaxi service in Berlin and Hamburg after a series of struggles with German courts. UberTaxi, which operates in London and New York, allows users to hail a licensed cab. Furthermore, Uber will be changing its UberBlack service to comply with Berlin regulations. The prices are, usually, lower than those of traditional [...]
Tesco’s week from hell: £250m black hole, 16 per cent fall in share price since Friday September 26, 2014 Was this the week Tesco hit rock bottom? Having discovered a huge black hole in its finances, shares have fallen from Friday's closing price of 229.6p, to a low of 191.23p in early morning trading today. That's a fall of almost 17 per cent. Here's a handy, cut-out-and-keep guide to Tesco's week from hell Monday [...]