New buyer registrations for prime London homes jump as buy-to-let landlords rush to beat stamp duty hike February 10, 2016 New buyer registrations for prime London homes soared in January as buy-to-let landlords scramble to complete their purchases before the stamp duty hike comes into effect in April. Figures from estate agency Marsh and Parsons today show that the number of new buyers registering in January 2016 was 24 per cent higher than in the [...]
Pandora shares lose their shine after jeweller forecasts sales slowdown in 2016 February 9, 2016 Shares in Pandora have slumped by seven per cent after the Danish jewellery firm warned of a slowdown in revenue growth over the coming year. The charm bracelet-maker forecasts sales to rise by 14 per cent to 19bn Danish kroner (DKK) in 2016 compared with a jump of 28.9 per cent at local currencies to [...]
New Look third quarter sales jump as menswear stores prove a hit with shoppers February 9, 2016 New Look has shrugged off a tough Christmas trading period to post a jump in sales over the quarter, boosted by its website and the expansion of its new menswear standalone stores. The fashion retailer said revenue grew by 5.6 per cent in the three months to 26 December, taking revenues to £1.18bn for the year to date. Pre-tax profits rose by 38.9 per cent to £87.9m. [...]
The Co-operative steals supermarket crown as strongest non-discounter, according to Kantar figures – as grocery sector boosted by New Year healthkicks February 9, 2016 The UK's struggling grocery sector has been given a shot in the arm from shoppers on a health kick, with sales up 0.2 per cent as consumers seek out fresh foods. The Co-operative was the fastest growing supermarket, outside of the discounters, in the 12 weeks to 31 January – the first time it can claim [...]
UK retail sales climbed in January, according to data from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG February 9, 2016 British retailers enjoyed some therapy last month as shoppers cast off the January blues and returned to the high street, according to new figures out today. UK retail sales rose by 2.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis from January 2015, when they had increased 0.2 per cent from the preceding year, according to figures from the [...]
Valentine’s Day 2016: Morrisons is selling oysters for 25p each ahead of Valentine’s Day – the same price as a Cadbury Freddo February 8, 2016 Lidl may be famous for its champagne, but one of the big four supermarkets appears to be fighting the competition by slashing the price of oysters ahead of Valentine's Day this year. Morrisons is to sell fresh British oysters for just 25p each – the price of an average Cadbury Freddo in a move to try to outshine its [...]
Marks and Spencer is narrowing the gap with high street rival Next, says Moody’s February 8, 2016 Marks & Spencer is closing in on its high street rival Next after boosting the profitability in its troubled clothing business by bringing more of its design in house and sourcing directly from suppliers, according to analysts at credit ratings agency Moody’s. In a note published the morning, Moody’s said Next’s credit profile is stronger [...]
Addison Lee is taking the fight against Uber to the Big Apple February 7, 2016 To an outsider Addison Lee might look like a company that’s losing momentum. Disruptive rival Uber has burst on to the scene, and defied recent attempts (in the UK, at least) to use the strong arm of regulators to clip its wings. But Addison Lee insists that it had a great Christmas, and the minicab giant [...]
High street sales bounce back in January – but only in first two weeks as shoppers go bargain hunting February 5, 2016 High street sales bounced back in January after a disappointing Christmas when sales recorded their worst performance for December since 2008. Like-for-like sales grew by 1.4 per cent year-on-year sales in January, mainly driven by a strong performance in the first two weeks when consumers shopping the sales came out in force, according to BDO’s high street [...]
Sports technology: How open data can help Britain end the scourge of physical inactivity February 4, 2016 Physical inactivity is the fourth largest cause of disease and disability and is responsible for one in six deaths in the UK – it has as great an impact on our mortality as smoking, according to Public Health England. It affects individuals and their families, businesses who are dependent on a healthy workforce, and our [...]