Marks and Spencer loses appeal against former landlord BNP Paribas December 2, 2015 You know that times are tough for retailers when they are prepared to fight for every penny they could put back in the piggy-bank. Marks and Spencer (M&S) has today lost a long-running battle against its former landlord BNP Paribas after the Supreme Court dismissed its appeal to claw back £1.1m of rent it claims it overpaid. In July 2011, [...]
Here’s how much you have to invest to pay for Christmas with dividends December 2, 2015 Ever wondered how much you need to invest to pay for Christmas out of your dividends? Nope, us neither – but now the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has answered the question no one was asking. According to the AIC, an investment pot of £5,000 yielding three per cent would produce £37.50 per quarter, or £150 [...]
Three of the best business books to read this Christmas: Nothing says “glad tidings” like a book on nudge theory December 2, 2015 Whether you need help deciding how many mince pies it is optimal to eat this Christmas, or how John Lewis has survived revolutions in the retail sector, City A.M. has been compiling a list of some of the best business books to enjoy over the festive period. Here are three. THINKING IRRATIONALLY Historically, the [...]
Shop prices fall in November as retailers gear up for Black Friday frenzy December 2, 2015 Shop prices fell by 2.1 per cent in November, with clothing and electricals leading the way as competition intensified ahead of Black Friday. Non-food prices fell by 3.3 per cent year-on-year, according data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen, which was an acceleration on the 2.7 per cent decline recorded in October. November [...]
Would you make an evening meal of it at Starbucks or Pret? No? Then how about Greggs or Subway? December 1, 2015 Starbucks and Pret a Manger have started trialling late-night opening hours, offering their customers evening menus and even serving wine and beer. YouGov assessed the attitudes and opinions of more than 60,000 consumers to evaluate whether high street coffee outlets are really an attractive venue for dinner and drinks. The blunt answer is “not yet”. Almost [...]
Good health cheers Dow at month’s start – New York Report December 1, 2015 Health and consumer shares bounced back yesterday while car sales suggested upbeat growth in November, giving the markets a positive start to December. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 168.43 points, or 0.95 per cent, to 17,888.35, the S&P 500 gained 22.22 points, or 1.07 per cent, to 2,102.63 and the Nasdaq Composite added 47.64 [...]
Heathrow airport expansion: There’s no need to make a stark choice between a third runway and the environment December 1, 2015 During the summer, the government made a commitment to announce a “final decision” on airport expansion by the end of this year. Since the office Christmas party season has already begun, that deadline is fast approaching. Yet in recent days, there have been reports of possible further delays. This would almost certainly cause investor [...]
Give industry some space, pleads British Property Federation, as the industrial sector faces increasing competition from housing for land December 1, 2015 The British Property Federation (BPF) has warned government not to neglect industrial development in favour of building housing. In a report released today, the BPF highlights the importance of the industrial sector for economic growth. The BPF also points out the crucial role the industrial sector plays in logistics, generating £100bn in gross value added [...]
Black Friday Cyber Monday 2015 UK sales figures are in: UK shoppers spent £3.3bn over the weekend December 1, 2015 Start popping those corks – Black Friday was just as big as everyone had hoped it would be. Black Friday cracked the £1bn sales mark for the first time ever and total sales over the shopping weekend totaled more than £3bn. In fact, shoppers spent £1.1bn, according to IMRG and Experian, which totted up the figures. That number comes [...]
Shares in Home Retail rally over Homebase bid rumours December 1, 2015 Shares in Home Retail Group rose more than three per cent yesterday on the back of reports that the former boss of Garden Centre Group is considering a bid for Homebase. Nicholas Marshall, who stepped down as chief executive of the rival garden retail chain – now called Wyevale Garden Centres – in 2012, told [...]