Coronavirus: Brits returning from Wuhan face two weeks in quarantine January 29, 2020 British citizens being flown back to the UK from the Chinese city of Wuhan tomorrow will be put in quarantine for two weeks as a precaution against coronavirus. The government will evacuate Britons from Wuhan, where the outbreak started, and the surrounding Hubei province as the virus spreads across China. Hundreds could be flown home. [...]
UK house prices rise 1.9 per cent as buyers hail 2020 ‘Boris bounce’ January 29, 2020 UK house prices grew at their fastest rate in over a year at the start of 2020, according to Nationwide, as experts hailed Boris Johnson’s election victory. The housing market posted a 1.9 per cent annual rise in January, beating December’s 1.4 per cent climb. That followed 12 months of consecutive growth below the one [...]
Apple beats profit and revenue estimates to defy coronavirus fears January 28, 2020 Apple reported earnings and revenue above Wall Street estimates tonight, proving its streak of success had continued to rise during the crucial Christmas trading period. The iPhone creator reported earnings of $4.99 per share for the three months to the end of December 2019, above estimates of $4.55 per share. It marked a record profit [...]
Consumer optimism rises to five-year high January 28, 2020 Consumer optimism for the coming year has jumped to a five-year high due to increased political certainty, according to the latest research. More UK consumers believe they will be financially better off over the next 12 months than worse off, as net sentiment has jumped from minus seven to three for the first time in [...]
UK retail sales flatline again after bruising Christmas January 28, 2020 UK retail sales flatlined for the third month in a row in January, survey data showed today, as Britain’s high street braces itself for “another tough year for the sector”. The CBI’s distributive trends survey said sales were also expected to be flat next month, marking a disappointing start to the year for the UK’s [...]
Almost 10,000 retail jobs lost in first three weeks of 2020 January 27, 2020 Almost 10,000 retail jobs have already been lost in the first three weeks of 2020, following a string of store closures and restructurings. New research published today showed that 9,940 jobs have been cut following store closures at high street chains. Supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have also announced plans to axe back office and [...]
Festive cheer for Reiss ahead of potential sales process January 27, 2020 Fashion brand Reiss has bucked the UK high street trend to report strong sales figures over the Christmas period, as the firm’s private equity owner mulls a potential sale of the business. The retailer, which has 82 standalone stores, said total like-for-like sales increased 18 per cent in the seven weeks to 18 January, while [...]
Police to get more anti-drone powers in fresh crackdown January 27, 2020 The government is planning a fresh crackdown on drones, after a number of near misses in the sky. Ministers hope to give police new powers to land, inspect and seize drones under a bill which has its second reading in Parliament today. Drone pilots could also face on-the-spot fines for failing to prove they have [...]
This week: Why the Pound shone over the Euro January 24, 2020 After a poor end to last week, the pound responded with a dominant performance this week, gaining an average of 0.8 per cent against the other major currencies. Indeed, it was only the Japanese yen that it lost out to (dropping 0.2 per cent). Such a performance has helped the pound climb to the top [...]
Marston’s toasts ‘strong’ Christmas after challenging 2019 January 24, 2020 Pub group Marston’s raised a glass to a “strong” Christmas this morning as impressive growth over the holiday helped offset a sluggish start to December. In a trading update the firm said that sales growth for the four months to January 18 saw a one per cent increase, but this rose to 4.5 per cent [...]