When is the best time to go Christmas shopping? Here are London’s busiest days so you can avoid them November 20, 2014 Next week is expected to see the start of the Christmas rush with Black Friday on November 28 – a US import that was brought about to stimulate spend after Thanksgiving. Fast becoming a crucial part in the retail calendar, high street names such as John Lewis are predicting big things, with many [...]
RBS braced for £50m fine over 2012 IT systems failure November 19, 2014 RBS is today expected to receive a fine over its systems failures, which left millions of customers unable to spend or transfer money. The fine comes more than two years after the 2012 crash which watchdogs are investigating, and is expected to come to around £50m. City regulators have been investigating the 2012 failures, but it [...]
BG vote against £12m share award may make a Norwegian blue November 19, 2014 Desperate times call for desperate measures. How else to interpret the crude insinuation from BG Group that its newly anointed chief executive might not join if investors vote down a one-off share award worth £12m? The FTSE 100 oil producer certainly falls into the camp signposted “urgent need”, which explains why the lavish pay [...]
The inflation-boosting video games set to become Christmas blockbusters November 19, 2014 Video games have been credited with helping to push up inflation in the run-up to Christmas – we take a look at some of the titles that will be raking in the big money The Crew This is racing sim meets Grand Theft Auto, with a vast open world America to explore (to [...]
Sainsbury’s and John Lewis’ Christmas adverts beaten by Shakira in 2014 most-shared ad list November 19, 2014 Move over Sainsbury’s, step to the side John Lewis. Neither brand has taken the mantle for the most shared ad of 2014. Marketing technology company Unruly has scoured the web and has identified Activia’s collaboration with Shakira as the most identified advert on the web. The yoghurt company teamed up with the Colombian [...]
Royal Mail share price falls more than 8 per cent after it warns on parcels business November 19, 2014 Shares in Royal Mail had fallen more than eight per cent to 431p in early afternoon trading, after the company posted disappointing half-year profits and warned its parcel business is likely to be impacted by heavy competition. The business, which was floated at 330p last October, has been the subject of fierce debate, with MPs [...]
Royal Mail share price falls as profits drop after struggles with competition November 19, 2014 This isn't what Royal Mail shareholders wanted to hear in the run-up to its busiest month: shares fell 7.3 per cent in the early afternoon as the 500-year-old postal service said its delivery operations faced "stiff competition" in the first half of the financial year. For the six months to 28 September, pre-tax profit [...]
John Lewis crashes through £100m weekly sales barrier after 2014 Christmas advert launch November 18, 2014 Department store John Lewis yesterday said sales in the week ending 15 November rose 7.2 per cent compared to the same time last year. The retailer, which launched its closely watched Christmas advertising campaign last week, said sales surpassed the £100m barrier for the first time this year, with tills ringing up £108.8m. [...]
New computer games like Assassin’s Creed Unity prompt inflation to edge up in October November 18, 2014 Inflation edged up in October, but is still expected to fall over the coming months. The headline measure of prices – the consumer prices index (CPI) – rose to 1.3 per cent for the year to October, up from 1.2 per cent in September, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday. [...]