Parcel delivery service Yodel to create 7,000 jobs ahead of Black Friday 2015 and Christmas period October 13, 2015 Parcel carrier business Yodel today announced that it is to create 7,000 jobs across the UK, including 776 in London, ahead of the busy Christmas period. While the roles are seasonal positions for the peak period, the firm said many of the positions are expected to become permanent due to a number of new retailers joining [...]
Bring me sunshine: Retailers believe weather is the main driver of consumer demand, says Met Office October 12, 2015 There is nothing that retailers like – or hate – more than to blame the weather for wreaking havoc on sales. Sausage roll-maker Greggs’ sales go soggy if conditions are too wet or too hot. Last autumn’s Indian Summer made it hard for retailers to shift jumpers and coats off the shelves. And the washout [...]
London airport expansion: Heathrow claims expansion would “supercharge” northern powerhouse as mayoral candidates Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan condemn plans as “madness” October 12, 2015 Heathrow has said its expansion would "supercharge" plans to build a northern powerhouse, as critics of the plans for a third runway swell. The west London airport is going all-out to win government support for expansion, claiming it would be a "driving force in rebalancing the UK's economy". The third runway would create a further 180,000 jobs, 95,000 of which [...]
Rugby fans helped to boost UK spending growth in September with world cup preparations October 12, 2015 Spending growth picked back up in September as pubs, off licences, sports shops and supermarkets took in more cash from fans gearing up for the Rugby World Cup. Spending on the clothing, entertainment and grocery sectors all performed strongly and lifted overall spending growth by 0.7 percentage points compared with the previous month, according to [...]
Nick Hewer on Uber, Jack Whitehall, true entrepreneurship and the dream of a Labour Party coup October 11, 2015 I’m very wobbly. I feel homeless – it’s a huge hole,” says Nick Hewer who, after nine years and 10 series as Alan Sugar’s right-hand man, has left The Apprentice. But the 71 year-old businessman isn’t talking about leaving the show; he’s describing what it feels like to have voted Labour since 1964 and now [...]
Amazon UK to create 19,000 jobs over Christmas to cope with extra demand October 8, 2015 Amazon UK is creating 19,000 people in seasonal roles over Christmas as it gears up for the busiest time of the year, the online retailer announced yesterday. The company said the majority of the jobs will be in its fulfillment and customer service centres to help cope with the extra demand. Salaries will start from [...]
Argos to launch same day delivery from UK stores as Amazon extends click and collect in London October 8, 2015 Home Retail Group is going head-to-head with Amazon and other retail rivals after announcing that Argos will offer same day delivery and collection from all of its UK stores. From today, customers will be able to order online by 6pm and get an item delivered by 10pm the same day, including Sundays, Argos said. [...]
Conservative conference 2015: Boris Johnson urges party to oppose Heathrow expansion October 7, 2015 London mayor Boris Johnson piled extra pressure on the government yesterday, urging it to reject the Airports Commission’s recommendation to expand Heathrow, as Prime Minister David Cameron said he would give him a Cabinet post as soon as next year. In his speech to the Conservative party conference in Manchester, Johnson warned: “If we [...]
Food prices drop ahead of supermarkets’ pre-Christmas battle – Nielsen and BRC October 7, 2015 Food prices fell back into deflation in September, industry figures released today show, as the supermarkets prepare to battle it out for customer’s wallets in the run-up to Christmas. Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium (BRC)’s latest monthly index said food saw annual deflation for the first time in three months, falling sharply to [...]
Conservative party conference 2015: Why the Tories’ infrastructure plans won’t cut the mustard October 5, 2015 Party conference season is in full swing, and infrastructure is at the top of the agenda for good reason. The announcement to restart the electrification of the two key railway lines last week, coupled with the chancellor’s four-point infrastructure plan announced at the opening of the Conservative party conference, show this government’s commitment to overhauling [...]