Special delivery: Aberdeen Standard Investments raises £187.5m for a fund focused on warehouses and delivery depots December 13, 2017 Just as the online Christmas shopping boom builds to a crescendo, Aberdeen Standard Investments has swooped in on the trend raising £187.5m for its warehouse fund. In a London stock market float yesterday – the firm’s first since Aberdeen Asset Management merged with Standard Life earlier this year – the European Logistics Income fund pulled [...]
Christmas shopping: UK high street benefits from rise in customer numbers at start of Christmas shopping season December 11, 2017 The UK high street benefited from a slight rise in footfall last month as retailers started selling their Christmas ranges. Footfall rose by 0.2 per cent in November, according to data from Springboard. This was a significant improvement on last year, when footfall fell by one per cent year-on-year. Read more: Bright spot for BrightHouse? [...]
Bricks or clicks? Rumours of the high street’s demise have been greatly exaggerated November 28, 2017 The way we shop may have changed markedly over time, but the nation’s appetite for shopping is as voracious as ever. This was shown, once again, in the frenzy around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, now important landmarks in the retail calendar. Early estimates suggest that spending exceeded £7bn. The fundamental shift has been driven [...]
After the hype, this year’s retail extravaganza of Black Friday was a short-lived frenzy November 27, 2017 Just three years ago Black Friday became synonymous with images of customers fighting over heavily discounted goods. The ugly scenes accompanied reports of police and ambulance services being called to stores across the UK, with several people injured in the melees. Fast forward to 2017 and the madness turned to mirth over the weekend as [...]
DEBATE: Is there any point to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Britain? November 27, 2017 Is there any point to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Britain? Olga Kotusr, chief executive and founder of retail startup Mercaux, says YES. Black Friday has matured into a major event in the UK retail calendar. While some may be sceptical about it (and the new “Cyber Monday” craze that now follows it), for [...]
“Altercation” on Oxford Circus Tube platform to blame for terrorism scare, says Met, as search begins for two men November 25, 2017 British Transport Police (BTP) have said they believe an “altercation” between two men on an Oxford Circus station Tube platform was to blame for a terrorism scare last night. Read more: Police are reopening stations with “no evidence” of shots fired on London’s Oxford Street, after armed police attended an incident Armed officers from BTP [...]
Markets roundup: Speculation lifts Paddy Power, while Carillion continues to struggle November 24, 2017 Black Friday is drawing to an end. The day has seen record spending on Barclaycard and all-time-high numbers on Argos’s website, though KPMG today warned of the impact discounting could have on retailers. Read more: Black Friday 2017: Purchases hit a record high this lunchtime, according to Barclaycard Although they may have been in the [...]
Black Friday 2017: Purchases hit a record high this lunchtime, according to Barclaycard November 24, 2017 Black Friday spending hit a record high this lunchtime, according to figures from Barclaycard. The credit card provider said by 1pm, it had recorded a 26 per cent increase in the volume of payment transactions compared to the same period on Black Friday last year, along with a four per cent increase in the amount [...]
Coincidence? Retailers’ profit margins have been squeezed since Black Friday hit UK shores, KPMG reveals November 24, 2017 The Black Friday phenomenon seems to be sticking around in the UK, as more and more retailers have extended offers on both sides of the big day. But there could be a darker side to the shopaholic frenzy, according to KPMG. Data compiled by the accountancy firm has found that profit margins of the UK’s [...]
Network at the National Theatre review: Bryan Cranston is electric in Ivo van Hove’s brilliant take on this Oscar-nominated movie November 17, 2017 Dutch theatre director Ivo van Hove is nothing if not ambitious. This year alone he’s had Jude Law running on a treadmill as he delivered his lines in Obsession and filled the Barbican’s stage with water for his outstanding Persona. But Network, based on the 1976 satirical film of the same name, is on a [...]