OSBORNE’S AUSTERITY CHRISTMAS: A CHEAP TREE AND EMPTY RED BOX December 9, 2010 FOLLOWING on from The Capitalist’s report yesterday on what George Osborne will be collecting in taxes from you this season, readers might be happy to know that the chancellor will himself will be enforcing an austerity Christmas on his office. He certainly had a sorry Christmas tale to tell at yesterday’s lunch with the political [...]
PROPERTY NEWS December 9, 2010 DEMAND FOR PROPERTY AT QUARTER’S HIGH Demand for property is on the rise for the first time in four months, according to the National Association of Estate Agents. House-hunters increased in November, attracted to falling prices, while supply remains static. Close to Christmas, there are usually fewer sales to avoid family disruption; people also tend [...]
Spotify forced to postpone US plans December 9, 2010 MUSIC streaming firm Spotify has admitted it will not realise its ambitions of launching in the US before Christmas. The firm said as recently as last month it would meet the target despite failing to sign agreements with all of the big four US labels. But founder and chief executive Daniel Ek said yesterday he [...]
Narnia’s heroes take to the waves December 9, 2010 Film THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER Cert: PG In the third of the Chronicles of Narnia series CS Lewis divested himself of half the Pevensie siblings, concentrating instead on the younger two, Edmund and Lucy. That’s good news for the film adaptation, since Skandar Key9nes (Edmund) and Georgie Henley (Lucy) are the better actors [...]
FASHION NEWS December 9, 2010 PAUL SMITH WINTER SALE The winter sale begins on 27 December, offering 30 per cent off the original price. Savings on men’s tailoring and women’s bags and shoes will be standout, and customers on the Paul Smith mailing list receive a 50 per cent discount on the original ticket price until 4 January. For special openings [...]
Moss Bros in sales rise boost December 9, 2010 MOSS Bros posted an 8.3 per cent rise in like-for-like sales for the first 18 weeks of the second half as the British menswear retailer’s improved product offering drew in more shoppers. The company, which has 150 retail outlets worldwide, said total sales for the 44-week period to 4 December were up 8.9 per cent [...]
Park sees Xmas savings jump December 9, 2010 Christmas savings group Park has reported a jump in savings as a growing number of people are putting money aside for the coming festive season. The company, which encourages consumers to put away regular savings for Christmas and guarantees a minimum of one per cent interest, said Christmas savings increased by 37 per cent to [...]
HMV cuts dividend as losses widen December 9, 2010 Music, DVD, games and books retailer HMV posted a worse than expected widening in first-half losses, blaming a sharp fall in sales on weak entertainment markets. The group said it was cutting its dividend and cautioned that despite more encouraging trading at the beginning of its second half, the start to Christmas trading had been [...]
Cowen will cling on until election defeat December 8, 2010 IRISH Prime Minister Brian Cowen looks set to see off opposition from party rebels, barring an unlikely cabinet revolt, and lead his Fianna Fail party into an election drubbing that could halve its parliamentary presence. Cowen, whose popularity has plunged into the single digits since his debt-stricken government had to request an EU/IMF bailout, has [...]
TRADERS GO BANANAS AT ICAP DAY OF DONATIONS December 8, 2010 IT was that time of year again, yesterday – the time for ICAP to unleash the creative instincts of its traders in a four-floor extravaganza of frenzied fancy dress, Flintstone toy cars and beer bottles. The annual ICAP charity day is by now something of a global institution, a day on which the firm’s thousands [...]